Is the Non-Aligned Movement Still Relevant?
Non alignment, as the word says, means a decision of not associating yourself with any of the groups. Those people who follow non alignment remain neutral and do not support any of the groups in conflict, wether those debates are over land ownership or oil, they support the ideals of soverignty.
But the question remains- Is NAM a relevant body today?
Nihal Rodrigo, a former secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) feels that NAM has still got its own important role to play, though the body is not as important as it was considered before. The very purpose of giving birth to NAM was to fight the bi-polar ideology that existed during the civil war. The group has got its own political significance.
Ever since its inception in April 1955, the chairmanship has been rotated every 3 years among the third world countries as well as some of the developing countries including India.
There is lot of division and conflict on various economic and political issues within the body itself; seldom do the members totally agree on any matter. The body does not force upon its members any rules and regulations of the body.
NAM today, is starting to lose its importance due to its inefficiency in utilizing its influence on the member countries. On the world stage because the movement does not account for any major economic power they are not really holding any clout.
Their power, if any, comes from being consumers of product and services. To become more of a world leading organization, the movement must focus on correcting the efficiencies in each member country’s social and economic issues. They also must do research and have concrete evidence that they can use when dealing with other international bodies and countries.
The movement must show themselves to be a unified force or else they will not be taken seriously.
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