NAM's Relevance
THE world has changed drastically since the creation of
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the early sixties. The originators of the idea of
non-alignment had many reasons why such a movement was a necessity at that time. One
overriding concern was the need to protect nations getting caught up in the superpower
rivalry of that time. Since the end of Cold War, however, the world body is trying to find
relevance in world affairs where the replacement of bi-polarity by uni-polarity has had
its own new implications. The search for NAM's space in the world dealings continues. It
is against this backdrop that the 13th NAM summit is taking place in Kuala Lumpur next
week where Nepal, too, will be participating. What should NAM focus on? Where can it best
serve its member countries? Speakers at a talk programme on "The Role of NAM in the
Changing World Context", on Thursday, were unanimous in their view that the world
forum needed to be more effective in favour of the small and economically poor nations.
Indeed, giving a strong voice on behalf of the weak nations should, undoubtedly, be the
major thrust of the movement at a time when the world is occupied with the twin challenges
of terrorism and globalisation.
NAM can be relevant only if it continues to matter in
different world fora. For it to be relevant, it must sound and act like a forum that
espouses the cause of the small and economically poor nations that are buffeted by the
juggernaut of globalisation. As a speaker at the talk rightly pointed out, the economic
sphere of the least developed countries like Nepal had greatly diminished and had been
confined only in the political realm. This is a dangerous trend that has the potential of
rebellion on the part of the weaker states as they see their voices more and more
marginalised in the cacophony of globalisation. NAM as a group must make them heard. Then,
there is the question of playing the role of peace-builder. The growing nuclear race, for
instance, in the South Asian sub-continent, where a large number of the world's poor live,
must be a matter of concern for a world grouping like NAM whose members mostly come from
the category of poor nations. Similarly, it must play an active role in preventing or
containing wars in the world's hotspots. NAM's relevance, without doubt, will be
determined by how it can effectively play a prominent role in the pressing issues of more
equitable world economic order and of conflict prevention and mitigation.
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