Non-Aligned Movement

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAPM or NAM) is a grouping of states formed during the Cold War, geopolitical conflict and world ideology of the second half of the 20th century that manifested itself with the indirect confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. The purpose of the MPNA was to maintain its neutral position and not ally itself with any of the already named superpowers. Although the Berlin Wall has fallen (November 9, 1989) and the USSR has been dissolved (1991), the organization continues in force.

Precedents

The first attempt to create a convergence between the countries that would later be known as the Non-Aligned Movement was in 1955 when it was held at the Bandung Conference in Indonesia, being Jawaharlal Nehru, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Sukarno (heads of government of India, Egypt and Indonesia, respectively) the promoters of the idea. In a meeting they evoked the idea of creating an organization. Because it occurred shortly after Indian independence, it was greatly influenced by the ideology and thinking of Mahatma Gandhi. The first summit of the Non-Aligned Countries was held in Belgrade in 1961.

After the end of the Cold War, the NPA suffered from a lack of identity, since the reason for its creation was to have a middle ground between the two Cold War superpowers.

As of June 2016, the NPM was made up of 120 member states and another 15 observer countries. Member States represent almost two-thirds of the UN membership and are home to 55% of the world's population.

History of the organization

Training and early years

The aforementioned Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, brought together 29 heads of state of the first post-colonial generation of leaders from the two continents to identify and assess current world problems, in order to develop joint policies in international relations.

At that conference, the principles that should govern relations between large and small nations were enunciated, known as the Bandung Ten Principles. These principles were later adopted as the main goals and objectives of the "non-alignment" and the core criteria for membership of the Movement. Over the years, the Movement evolved from a passive neutrality towards a non-alignment activism that came to endow it with an important international force.

Six years after Bandung, on a broader geographical basis, the Non-Aligned Movement was established at the First Summit Conference in Belgrade, held September 1-6, 1961. The conference was attended by 28 countries (25 member countries and 3 observers), mainly new independent states. Cuba was the only country from Latin America participating as a member.

The membership criteria formulated at the Belgrade Summit Preparatory Conference demonstrate that the Movement was not conceived to play a passive role in international politics, but to formulate its own independent positions, reflecting their interests and conditions as militarily countries weak and economically underdeveloped.

Thus, the primary objectives of the non-aligned countries focused on support for self-determination, opposition to apartheid in South Africa, non-adherence to multilateral military pacts, the fight against imperialism in all its forms and manifestations, disarmament, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, the strengthening of the UN, the democratization of international relations, socioeconomic development and the restructuring of the international economic system.

1970s

The holding of the Belgrade Conference was an important impulse for the NAPM and managed to increase the influence of the non-alignment policy in the world, progressively replacing the Afro-Asian character born at the Bandung Conference. The Movement took another important step with the founding in May 1963 by 31 independent African countries of the Organization for African Unity (OAU, current African Union), which enshrined non-alignment in Africa.

At the height of the movement, the II Summit Conference of the NAPM was held, which took place in Cairo between October 5 and 10, 1964. On this occasion, 47 full-fledged member countries, 10 observers and 10 observers will participate. 30 representatives of the Liberation Committees of countries that had not yet achieved their independence. The most outstanding events of this II Conference were the elaboration of a Program for peace and international collaboration and support for the fight against colonialism, racism and apartheid. The principles of peaceful coexistence were also drawn up.

In the period immediately after this II Conference, numerous problems were raised regarding the non-alignment policy, derived from the displacement of the conflict between the US and the USSR to countries of the movement. Some examples are the Vietnam War, the Arab-Israeli clashes or the overthrow of Sukarno in Indonesia.

In this context, a new Summit Conference was held (under the initiative of the Yugoslav leader Tito) for September 1970. The venue on this occasion was the city of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Participation rose to 54 member countries, 8 observers and again several representatives of Liberation Committees from non-independent territories.

Two Declarations were drawn up at this Conference: The Declaration on peace, independence, development, cooperation and the democratization of international relations. It embodied the fundamental principles of non-aligned countries, consisting of the fight for peace, action against colonialism and racism, diplomacy as a solution to problems, efforts to end the arms race, opposition to the establishment of military bases in foreign territories, campaigning for increased authority of the UN Assembly, the aspiration for economic independence and cooperation on an equal footing between countries. It also included the need to continue the anti-colonial struggle, urged not to be subjugated by any foreign country and demanded the liquidation of all military alliances.

The other is the Declaration on Non-Alignment and Economic Progress. In it, the norms of economic cooperation between the member countries were established, and the bases of the Development of Regional Cooperation, a common economic action program, stipulating the beginning of preliminary negotiations on the aforementioned issues among the non-aligned countries. Finally, in this III Conference, fourteen resolutions related to different current issues were adopted.

With the Lusaka Conference, the NPA entered a new phase of expansion, which led to the next Conference, held in Algiers in September 1973. In it, the number of attendees continued to grow and already reached 75 members, 7 observers, 3 guests and 12 representatives of Liberation Committees. This IV Conference drew up a declaration along the same lines as the previous summits, delving into the criticism of Zionism, apartheid, the still existing colonialism and racism. The novelty of this conference resides in the fact that an Economic Declaration is also elaborated in which imperialism and the situation of developing countries are analyzed. The Algiers Conference represents an important advance in concern for the economic problems of the non-aligned countries.

In 1975, at the height of the Cold War, the UN General Assembly adopted, at the impulse of the Arab countries, and with the support of the Soviet bloc and the non-aligned bloc, resolution 3379, of a declaratory and non-binding nature, which considered Zionism as a form of racism and made it comparable to South African Apartheid (72 votes in favor, 35 against and 32 abstentions). The alignment of the Arab and socialist countries and those belonging to the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries responded to the logic of the bipolar confrontation of the Cold War. Said block vote produced a majority in the UN that was organized to systematically condemn Israel in resolutions such as: 3089, 3210, 3236, 3240, etc.

On the other hand, the resolution must also be read in light of the policies of the so-called Third Worldism promoted by political figures such as Mexican President Luis Echeverría. This, in a political calculation, used the World Conference of the International Women's Year as a platform to project his own figure as a leading member of the Non-Aligned Movement and seeking the General Secretariat of the United Nations. The foregoing produced a tourist boycott by the American Jewish community against Mexico that made visible internal and external conflicts of Echeverría's policies.

The V Summit Conference took place in August 1976 in the city of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. In this summit, the number of participating member countries was 86, also attended by 10 observers, 7 guests and several representatives of National Liberation organizations and other international organizations. The Political Declaration analyzed the reduction of international tensions, imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism, the situation in Africa, Asia and Latin America, racial discrimination and interference in internal affairs of States or the UN. As in the last conferences, an Economic Declaration was also developed whose main point dealt with the international economic situation and the perspectives of developing countries. An Economic Cooperation Action Program and seven resolutions were also approved.

In the mid-1970s, the MPNA reached its greatest degree of importance in all respects; On the one hand, the relationship between the two blocs seems to reduce their tension and, on the other, their geographical expansion has also been very considerable, going from 25 participants in Belgrade to 86 in Colombo (which will still increase, as we will see, in subsequent summits).. Despite the fact that institutionalization is rejected by its members, a Coordination Office is created on these dates to deal with matters related to non-alignment, which remains installed in Algiers.

In this phase of relaunch, the VI Summit Conference, held in Havana in 1979, is reached. Participation continues to grow: this time there are 96 members, 9 observers and 10 guests. As in previous summits, several delegates from national liberation organizations also participate. Fidel Castro, as president of the movement (the host countries always held the leadership until the next summit), delivered two speeches (one opening and one closing) in which he defined in detail the objectives of the Movement. The Havana Conference, as in previous editions, a Political Declaration, an Economic Declaration and an Action Program for Economic Cooperation, in addition to approving various resolutions regarding the international situation.

1980s

Despite the moment of strength and expansion that the Movement was experiencing at the end of the 1970s, during the following decade the MPNA will face a series of crises that will significantly change its operation and its own reason for be. Obviously, the Warsaw Pact crisis and the subsequent collapse of socialism both in Europe and in Africa significantly conditioned the Movement's performance. On the other hand, it also faced contradictions of an internal nature: several armed conflicts confronted member countries bilaterally. The most important was the war between Iran and Iraq, which made it impossible to hold the VII Summit Conference in Baghdad scheduled for September 1982. This summit finally took place in New Delhi, and in addition to the usual Political and Economic Declarations and the Program of Collective Action, a document entitled Message from New Delhi of remarkable importance was prepared. In it, the current global crisis situation and the concept of peaceful coexistence were analyzed. An appeal was also made in favor of peace and overcoming existing conflicts: the Middle East, Namibia, South Africa, etc.

The VIII Summit Conference was held in September 1986 in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. In it, the line of the one held in New Delhi was deepened and had as its most significant events the speeches of important world leaders on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Movement. Among others, Robert Mugabe, Rajiv Gandhi and Fidel Castro intervened.

The fall of the Eastern Bloc is going to plunge the NAPM into a crisis that even threatens its very existence. The disappearance of one of the two blocks causes the actions and the very meaning of the Movement to have to change.

Since 1991

The collapse of the Soviet bloc and the end of the Cold War caused the NAPM to lose much of its support and part of its significance. The Jakarta Conference, held in 1992, marks a turning point in the Movement in this sense. Being the first conference after the end of the Cold War, it proposes a change in the strategies of the member countries. From then on, the groups of powerful countries such as the European Union or the G8 became the focus of the MPNA. The members maintain that part of the problems that Third World countries had during the Cold War have increased with current unilateralism and with the globalization process. Some concepts, such as preventive warfare, are of enormous importance to Third World countries. With this idea, they consider it essential to strengthen the links between developing countries to achieve greater efficiency in the defense of their common interests.

The most important demands currently are the defense of the founding bases of the United Nations, the principles related to the political independence and sovereignty of States, non-intervention in the internal affairs of countries and the solution of conflicts without resort to threats or the use of force. Also the stagnation of the reform process of the Security Council and the existence of the right of veto, facts that enormously limit the capacity of the Non-Aligned countries suppose other of the workhorses of the Movement. In the last conferences held in Cartagena de Indias (1995), Durban (1998), Kuala Lumpur (2003) and Havana (2006), all these issues have been addressed and work has been done to revitalize the movement and adapt it to the new conditions. sacrificing as little as possible to the founding principles.

Although the Movement includes most developing countries, it is not identical to the Group of 77. A number of countries have remained outside the NAPF because they do not meet the membership criteria or because they have not applied for membership out of considerations national policies. The NPA has a higher common denominator than the G77 and a political direction given by the principles and objectives shared by its members.

The movement today

From August 26 to 31, 2012, the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement was held in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Because of this, the former Secretary General of the NPAM is Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. 120 member countries participated in that summit. In September 2016, the XVII NAM summit was held on the Isla de Margarita, Venezuela, where the Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro assumed the presidency. In his inauguration speech, the president established the principles of Margarita's declaration, among which stand out: The re-founding of the UN with the votes of the NAM, the defense of the Palestinian people, the end of the blockade of Cuba, the decolonization of Puerto Rico between other great challenges of today's world.

With the commitment to uphold and respect its founding principles of the NAM, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, assumed on October 25, 2019, in Baku, the pro tempore presidency of the multilateral body.

Membership criteria

1. The country must have adopted an independent policy based on the coexistence of States with different political and social systems and on non-alignment, or should demonstrate a tendency for such a policy.

1. The country concerned must consistently support movements for national independence.
2. The country should not be a member of a multilateral military alliance concluded in the context of the conflicts of the major powers.
3. If the country has a bilateral military agreement with great power, or is a member of a regional defence pact, the agreement or pact should not have been deliberately concluded in the context of the conflicts of the major powers.
4. If the country has granted military bases to a foreign power, the concession must not have been made in the context of the conflicts of the great powers.

Full members

The full members of the Non-Aligned Movement are 120 countries and one autonomous territory. In this list, members are grouped by region and the year in parentheses is their year of joining the organization.

Africa

Asian

America

Europe

• AzerbaijanAzerbaijan (2011)
• BelarusBelarus (1998)

Oceania

• FiyiFiyi (2011)
• Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (1993)
• VanuatuVanuatu (1983)

Former members

• Afghanistan (1961-2021)
• Argentina (he was a member between 1973 and 1991. He is currently an observer)
• CyprusCyprus (1961-2004)
• CroatiaCroatia (he was a member between 1992 and 2013. He is currently an observer)
• MaltaMalta (1973-2004)
• South Yemen (1970-1990)
• Ukraine Ukraine (he was a member between 2010 and 2014. He is currently an observer)
• Yugoslavia (1961-1992, suspended following the intervention of the Yugoslav People ' s Army in the Bosnian War)

Observers

There are 20 countries and some organizations as observers.

Observer countries

• Argentina
• ArmeniaArmenia
• Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
• BrazilBrazil
• ChinaChina
• Vatican City
• Costa RicaCosta Rica
• Croatia
• El SalvadorEl Salvador
• Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan
• Mexico Mexico
• Montenegro
• Paraguay Paraguay
• Russia Russia
• SerbiaSerbia
• South Sudan
• Tajikistan
• Ukraine Ukraine
• Uruguay Uruguay

NAM Member Organizations

• African Union
• Organization of Solidarity with Afro-Asian Peoples
• Arab League
• Secretariat of the Commonwealth of Nations
• Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (Puerto Rico)
• Kanak National Liberation Front (New Caledonia)
• Organization for Islamic Cooperation
• South Centre
• United Nations
• World Peace Council

Lectures

The conferences of the Non-Aligned Movement by order, year and place are:

Ed.	Year	Headquarters
I	1961	Belgrade, Yugoslavia
II	1964	Cairo, United Arab Republic
III	1970	Lusaka, Zambia
IV	1973	Algiers, Algeria
V	1976	Colombo, Sri Lanka
VI	1979	Havana, Cuba
VII	1983	New Delhi, India
VIII	1986	Harare, Zimbabwe
IX	1989	Belgrade, Yugoslavia
X	1992	Jakarta, Indonesia
XI	1995	Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
XII	1998	Durban, South Africa
XIII	2003	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
XIV	2006	Havana, Cuba
XV	2009	Sharm el Sheij, Egypt
XVI	2012	Tehran, Iran
XVII	2016	Isla Margarita, Venezuela
XVIII	2019	Baku, Azerbaijan

Other meetings may be held between official meetings. For example, in 2011 the 50th anniversary of the movement was celebrated with a meeting in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

On May 4, 2020, at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, Ilham Aliyev, the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement was held in the format of the Contact Group on the theme “United against COVID-19" (United against COVID-19)” dedicated to the fight against the coronavirus by videoconference.

Structure of the Movement

The Non-Aligned Movement has neither a charter, nor a constitution, nor formal rules of operation. This was avoided when it was founded, considering that it went against plurality and the very configuration of the Movement. Instead, a system of administration was adopted that allowed all member countries to participate in the management. The political line was elaborated in the different conferences through declarations and resolutions.

The presidency is held by the host country, which holds this position until the next Summit. The President (head of state of the host country) was in charge of coordinating all activities.

From the Algiers Summit (1973), the existence of a Coordination Bureau was established, in charge of carrying out the preparations for the Summits and meetings. It also organizes the work of the different Working Groups and Commissions of the Movement. It tries to unify the positions of the non-aligned countries in the United Nations. This Bureau is currently open to all members of the Movement. Although it has not always been fulfilled for different reasons, in theory the organic functioning of the Movement is as follows:

• Summits. They are held in theory every three years and are attended by the heads of State or Government of the member countries.
• Ministerial conferences. These are the meetings held between the Summits.
• Coordination Bureau meetings. They are held shortly before the Summits with the intention of preparing them in detail. They take place in the country that occupies the presidency of the Movement.

Apart from all these, other high-level meetings are also held such as Extraordinary Ministerial Meetings, Meetings of the Ministerial Committee on Methodology, Meetings of the Permanent Ministerial Committee on Economic Cooperation, and Ministerial Meetings on various aspects of International Cooperation, although each day are less frequent.