Non-alignment as it was decades ago, is dead
The 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit concluded in Venezuela on Sunday, calling for stringent measures against the menace of global terror. The Margarita Declaration signed by representatives of the NAM renewed the decision to strengthen the global south. But global politics today is shaped equally by events that take place far away and happenings back home. Therefore, an effort to fight the common issues of humanity such as growing inequality among societies and poverty, could have been taken into consideration by the 120-member group. Mere focus on problems more global in nature, isn’t enough. Besides, the NAM is increasingly facing an existential crisis in comparison to other regional forums like the Association of South East Asian Nations or the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which are more successful and assertive in propelling the developmental concerns of member States. The very philosophy of the Movement of staying away from the two power blocs has barely any relevance at the moment. Even NAM’s founder members like India, moving both way towards America and Russia, reflect the realities of globalism. The Non-Aligned Movement should head for a new identity or be ready to turn into a dead forum.
The NAM as a platform for regional cooperation, was conceived in 1961 in the wake of the power rivalries between the two superpowers, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It needs a serious revision of its founding goals and objectives. There has been a strong call for a multi-polar world with the emergence of new global powers like India, Brazil, China etc. The NAM should incorporate visions within which it can adjust the fresh demands of its members. The members can longer be restrained from aligning with or supporting other global powers.
The new declaration highlighted the member states’ interest in forming alliances like Brics, and it can be helpful in infusing new energy among them. Many of them badly need to address their tattered economies. The current chair of the NAM, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, hinted at a deal between the Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and the non-Opec nations for scaling down oil prices. This will have a serious impact on those member States that depend on oil exports to keep their economy going. India, being a founding member and pioneer in initiating critical policy decisions for the NAM, once again moved a proposal to set up a working group on counter-terrorism within the Movement, but Pakistan opposed it. This was of course to be expected. Thus, while India's call to nail Pakistan for all its sponsorship of Islamic terror on Indian soil, was heard by member States with attention, it could not be translated into an institutional mechanism for initiating action against the neighbour’s attempts to disrupt peace on foreign soil.