History
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an international organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. The movement is largely the brainchild of Gamal Abdul Nasser, former president of Egypt, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito. It was founded in April 1955; as of 2007, it has 118 members. The purpose of the organization as stated in the Havana Declaration of 1979 is 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 aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics."[1] They represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations's members and comprise 55 percent of the world population, particularly countries considered to be developing or part of the third world.[2]
Members have, at various times, included: Yugoslavia, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Algeria, Libya, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Indonesia, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, post-1994 South Africa, Iran, Malaysia, and, for a time, the People's Republic of China. BrazilNAM and frequently sends observers to the Non-Aligned Movement's summits. While the organization was intended to be as close an alliance as NATOWarsaw Pact, it has little cohesion and many of its members were actually quite closely aligned with one or another of the great powers. Additionally, some members were involved in serious conflicts with other members (e.g. India and Pakistan, Iran and Iraq). The movement fractured from its own internal contradictions when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. While the Soviet allies supported the invasion, other members (particularly Islamic nations) of the movement did not. has never been a formal member of the movement, but shares many of the aims of or the
Because the Non-Aligned Movement was formed as an attempt to thwart the Cold War[3], it has struggled to find relevance since the Cold War ended. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, a founding member, its successor states of YugoslaviaMalta and Cyprus ceased to be members and joined the European Union. have expressed little interest in membership, though some have observer status. In 2004,
. It was founded in April 1955; as of 2007, it has 118 members. The purpose of the organization as stated in the Havana Declaration of 1979 is 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 aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics."[1] They represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations's members and comprise 55 percent of the world population, particularly countries considered to be developing or part of the third world.[2]
Members have, at various times, included: Yugoslavia, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Algeria, Libya, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Indonesia, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, post-1994 South Africa, Iran, Malaysia, and, for a time, the People's Republic of China. BrazilNAM and frequently sends observers to the Non-Aligned Movement's summits. While the organization was intended to be as close an alliance as NATOWarsaw Pact, it has little cohesion and many of its members were actually quite closely aligned with one or another of the great powers. Additionally, some members were involved in serious conflicts with other members (e.g. India and Pakistan, Iran and Iraq). The movement fractured from its own internal contradictions when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979. While the Soviet allies supported the invasion, other members (particularly Islamic nations) of the movement did not. has never been a formal member of the movement, but shares many of the aims of or the
Because the Non-Aligned Movement was formed as an attempt to thwart the Cold War[3], it has struggled to find relevance since the Cold War ended. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, a founding member, its successor states of YugoslaviaMalta and Cyprus ceased to be members and joined the European Union. have expressed little interest in membership, though some have observer status. In 2004,