Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)

Subject – IR

Context – NAM at 60 marks an age of Indian alignment

Concept –

• The Non-Aligned Movement was formed during the Cold War as an organization of States that did not seek to formally align themselves with either the United States or the Soviet Union, but sought to remain independent or neutral.
• It was established in 1961 in Belgrade, former Yugoslavia under the leadership of the then Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser and the President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito.
• The basic concept for the group originated in 1955 during discussions that took place at the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia.
• The first NAM Summit Conference took place in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1961.
• It has 120 members as on April 2018 comprising 53 countries from Africa, 39 from Asia, 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 2 from Europe (Belarus, Azerbaijan). There are 17 countries and 10 international organizations that are Observers at NAM.
• The Non-Aligned Movement was founded and held its first conference (the Belgrade Conference) in 1961 under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Sukarno of Indonesia.
• The purpose of the organization was enumerated in Havana Declaration of 1979 to ensure “the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries” in their struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign subjugation.
• During the cold war era the NAM played a vital role in stabilizing the world order and preserving peace and security. Non alignment of NAM doesn’t mean the neutrality of state on global issues, it was always a peaceful intervention in world politics.

NAM Functioning

• NAM does not have a permanent secretariat or a formal hierarchy.
• Its administration is rotational and non-hierarchy.
• NAM takes decisions by consensus, which need not be universal, but only requires substantial agreement.
• It has a Coordinating Bureau which is based at the UN in New York City.
• NAM meets every three years at the NAM Summit Conference of Heads of State.
• At the Summit, a chair is chosen, which is a post held for three years.
• In NAM, every member country has equal weight.
• The current chairperson of NAM is Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan. He holds the post till 2022.

The 10 Principles of Bandung:

• Respect for fundamental human rights and of the objectives and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
• Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.
• Recognition of equality among all races and of the equality among all nations, both large and small.
• Non-interference of non-intervention into the internal affairs of another country.
• Respect the right of every nation to defend itself, either individually or collectively, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations.
• Non-use of collective defence pacts to benefit the specific interests of any of the great powers.
• Refraining from acts or threats of aggression and use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any nation.
• Settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means.
• Promotion of mutual interest and cooperation.
• Respect for justice and international obligations.