NAM, the voice of the developing world

TEHRAN, May 9 (MNA) -- “The preservation of peace forms the central aim of India’s policy. ‎It is in the pursuit of this policy ‎that we have chosen the path of ‎nonalinement [nonalignment] in any military or like pact of ‎alliance. ‎Nonalinement does not mean passivity of mind or action, ‎lack of faith or conviction… It is a positive ‎and dynamic ‎approach to such problems that confront us.”‎ -- Jawaharlal Nehru speech in Washington, D.C. on December 18, 1956‎ . The ministerial conference of the Non-‎Aligned Movement (NAM) is going to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, ‎Egypt from Wednesday to Thursday. The ministers are scheduled ‎to discuss the latest international developments and additionally, to ‎prepare for the upcoming summit of the group in Tehran in late ‎summer, which will be attended by heads of state and government. NAM is the largest grouping of countries outside of the United ‎Nations, with 118 member states that represent around 56 ‎percent of the world population. The movement also has 17 ‎observer members. Its general aim is to give a voice to the ‎developing world. ‎ Since the end of the Cold War and the formal end of colonialism, ‎the Non-Aligned Movement has been forced to reinvent itself and redefine its purpose in the current world system. The movement ‎has emphasized its principles of multilateralism, equality, and ‎mutual non-aggression to promote the needs of member nations at ‎the international level and strengthen their political leverage when ‎negotiating with developed nations.‎ Members of NAM usually adopt synchronized policies in dealing ‎with various international issues and leave a huge impact on the ‎process of policy making at the global level. They espouse policies ‎and practices of cooperation, especially those that are multilateral ‎and provide mutual benefit to all those involved. The joint ‎declarations issued by NAM members at the meetings of the ‎International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors can be viewed as a clear manifestation of such a coordinated policy.‎ Based on the major principles of its foreign policy, the Islamic ‎Republic of Iran joined NAM after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. ‎During NAM’s 6th summit in Havana in 1979, Iran became the 88th ‎member of the organization. Since then, Iran has actively ‎participated in the meetings of the organization at all levels and has ‎always tried to play a constructive role in crafting NAM’s policies and ‎stances on international issues. This active contribution ‎to NAM finally provided Tehran the opportunity to host the ‎‎15th ministerial conference of the organization in the summer of 2008. ‎ Over the past few years, Western countries have used everything at ‎their disposal to create media hype about Iran’s peaceful nuclear ‎program and to pile up more pressure on the ‎Iranian nation by referring the country’s nuclear dossier to the United Nations ‎Security Council. However, NAM members have always ‎underscored their support for Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, ‎either individually or through joint statements, at international ‎meetings and conferences. ‎ This massive support shown by an organization with such an ‎inclusive structure at the international level clearly proves ‎that the hype around Iran’s nuclear program has not created international ‎concern but is only serving some Western countries’ plans ‎to promote their Iranophobia campaign. The group’s support for Iran’s ‎nuclear rights was highlighted at NAM’s 14th summit in Havana in 2006, ‎in which an exclusive statement was issued to emphasize the ‎fact that the country should enjoy the right to develop and acquire nuclear ‎technology meant for peaceful purposes. This position was later reaffirmed at the next summit in ‎Egypt in 2009. ‎ During the 15th summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Iranian diplomats ‎successfully gained Iran the rotating presidency of the movement for ‎three years and Tehran will host the 16th NAM summit in late summer. ‎ This meeting is of great importance and member states of the ‎movement have great capacity to influence political and ‎international developments. As a member of the group’s troika, along with Cuba and Egypt, Iran will use this capacity to highlight ‎NAM’s role in international developments and also to demonstrate the ‎capabilities of Iran’s diplomatic apparatus.‎