When the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was launched 63 years ago, it ruffled the feathers of the global power elites.
Gripped by the Cold War, the world in early 60's was divided into two blocs- one led by the United States (US) and its European allies and other led by the communist Soviet Union and its comrades in arms including China.
Both the US and the USSR, to expand their sphere of influence, were engaged in efforts to lure the countries who remained neutral into their fold.
Against such a backdrop, five leaders from the neutral countries took the initiative to float a platform of countries who preferred not to be aligned with any of the blocs and thus the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was launched in 1961.
The move was initiated in 1955 at the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference in Indonesia and finally the first summit of the NAM took place in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1961.
The five leaders - Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, and Sukarno of Indonesia steered the course of the NAM in the initial days but the platform started to lose its appeal when the world started to become unipolar under the sole influence of the US.
The irony is that after six decades the necessity of the NAM has become as important as it was in the 60's because of the world is becoming bipolar again. And that is why the recently ended NAM Summit in Kampala was under deep scanner of the global current affairs watchers.
Leaders from the 120-member bloc met in the Ugandan capital amid deep division globally, including rising geopolitical tensions, climate catastrophe, widespread poverty and raging conflict in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza.
Like in the 60's, leaders of neutral countries are now seeking a neutral stance and are trying to avoid joining either of the two major power blocs-one headed by the United States and the other by China and Russia.
To address the present-day challenges and to attain the SDG goals, the neutral countries badly need accelerated economic growth but their endeavours are facing severe setback due to the conflicts across the globe such as in Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar and in Libya.
No doubt, the uncertainty and instability in the world today offer new opportunities for countries and the NAM can lead the way towards 'deeper cooperation and shared global affluence'.
Organisations like NAM can also play its role in carrying out the much-needed reform of the limping UN Security Council, which has miserably failed regarding conflict resolutions and bring about effective solutions to major international crisis.
Reforms and promoting ideas to rebuild trust and strengthen multilateral collaboration is the need of the day to ensure stability in the world.
A united Nam can also boost sustainable development to reform the global financial system.
To absorb the shocks resulting from the second edition of the Cold War, the NAM must remain united in making joint effort towards achieving a peaceful and prosperous world order.
The significance of NAM has become more pronounced in a world that is getting increasingly complex as it is confronted with several challenges, including insecurity, health pandemics, climate change, and terrorism.
NAM can also play pivotal role in addressing challenges in regards to development financing and debt burden. Multilateralism and solidarity are required now more than ever so those neutral countries collectively respond to further challenges.
For NAM countries including Bangladesh, it is crucial to address the challenges that emerged from the toxic geopolitical rivalry between the two blocs.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com