Why in the news?

  • The 19th NAM mid-term ministerial meeting held in Uganda and India upheld the significance of Global South.

Non-Alignment Movement (NAM)

  • Formation: Founded in 1961 at Belgrade Conference during the Cold War to avoid alignment with either US or USSR blocs.
  • Founding Countries: India, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Egypt and Ghana
  • Core Principles (Panchsheel):
    • Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity
    • Mutual non-aggression
    • Non-interference in internal affairs
    • Equality and mutual benefit
    • Peaceful coexistence
  • Objectives:
    • Safeguard political independence and sovereignty of developing nations.
    • Promote world peace, disarmament, and peaceful coexistence.
    • Oppose colonialism, imperialism, apartheid, and neo-colonialism.
    • Encourage economic cooperation and South-South solidarity.
    • Strengthen the United Nations and multilateralism.
  • Present Significance:
    • Voice of the Global South: NAM remains a platform for developing nations to collectively influence global decisions.
    • Strategic Autonomy: India uses NAM principles to maintain independence amid great-power rivalry (e.g., US-China tensions).
    • Climate and Development Justice: NAM countries collectively demand fair climate finance, technology transfer, and sustainable growth opportunities.
    • Reforming Multilateralism: India uses NAM to advocate for UN Security Council reforms and equitable global order.
    • Global South Leadership: India’s initiatives like Voice of Global South Summit (2023) and G20 Presidency (2023) mirror NAM’s ethos.
    • Peace Diplomacy: NAM principles underpin India’s calls for dialogue in conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine.
    • Digital & Economic Equity: NAM provides moral ground for India to push for fair rules on AI, data governance, and trade