The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an international organization and a forum of 121 member countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. It was established as a collective platform for developing nations, representing the world's largest grouping of states after the United Nations.
The concept originated during the Cold War era, with the basic idea emerging from the 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia, which brought together Asian and African states. The NAM was formally established at the first Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, on September 1, 1961. The problem it sought to solve was the bipolarization of the world between the pro-Soviet socialist bloc (like the Warsaw Pact) and the pro-American capitalist bloc (like NATO), allowing newly independent nations to safeguard their sovereignty and avoid becoming "pawns" in the superpower rivalry. Key founding leaders included Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Sukarno of Indonesia.
The mechanism of the NAM is guided by the ten Bandung Principles of 1955, which serve as the criteria for membership. These principles include respect for fundamental human rights, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, and non-interference in internal affairs. The purpose, as summarized 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 and all forms of foreign domination. The NAM operates without a formal constitution or permanent secretariat, with its leadership rotating at every summit.
The NAM connects directly to the concept of the Global South and institutions like the United Nations, where its members represent nearly two-thirds of the total membership and often advocate for the reform of the UN Security Council. It also relates to the Panchsheel principles, which heavily influenced its founding ideology.
While the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s led to questions about its relevance, the NAM has adapted its focus. Its core principles of sovereignty and non-interference have stayed the same, but its priorities have shifted from anti-colonialism to contemporary issues like climate resilience, digital equity, counter-terrorism, and advocating for a restructuring of the international economic order. Some members, including India, have recently preferred the term "multi-alignment" over non-alignment, reflecting a change in approach to global engagement. The movement continues to hold summits, with the 19th Summit held in Kampala, Uganda, in January 2024.