• NAM- NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT.
  
• 
  
• ORIGIN
  
• The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is made up of 118 developing countries and aims to represent the political, economic and cultural interests of the developing world.
  
• The NAM traces its origin to a meeting in 1955 of 29 Asian and African countries at which heads of state discussed common concerns, including colonialism and the influence of the West.
  
• A significant milestone in the development of the Non-Aligned Movement was the 1955 Bandung Conference, a conference of Asian and African states hosted by Indonesian president Sukarno.
  
• The attending nations declared their desire not to become involved in the Cold War and adopted a "declaration on promotion of world peace and cooperation", which included Nehru's five principles
  
•  Six years after Bandung, an initiative of Yugoslav president Tito led to the first official Non-Aligned Movement Summit, which was held in September 1961 in Belgrade.
  
• NAM member countries represent many shades of political opinion.
  
• 
  
• "INITIATIVE OF FIVE"
  
• The organization was founded in Belgrade in 1961.
  
  It is the brainchild of
  
•  Yugoslavia's President,  Tito
  
• India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru,
  
• Egypt's second President, Gamal Abdel Nasser
  
• Indonesia's first President, Sukarno.
  
• Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana.
  
• Their actions were known as 'The Initiative of Five'.
• All five leaders were prominent advocates of a middle course for states in the Developing World between the Western and Eastern blocs in the Cold War.
• 
  
• PURPOSE OF NAM
  
• The purpose of the organisation 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, as well as against great power  politics."
  
•  They represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations's members
  
• And 55% of the world population, particularly countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World 

• NAM - STRUCTURE
  
• The NAM does not have a constitution or a permanent secretariat. Its highest decision-making body is the Conference of Heads of States or Government, which usually meets once every three years. At this time the post of NAM chair is passed to the host country of the summit.
  
• South Africa's Thabo Mbeki has called on the NAM to take a bolder stance
   
• The NAM chair takes on the administrative burden of running the movement. Because much of the NAM's work is undertaken at the United Nations in New York.
  
• The NAM's Co-ordinating Bureau, also based at the UN, is the main instrument for directing the work of NAM task forces, committees and working groups.
  
• AIMS OF LUSAKA CONFERENCE-1970
  
• The peaceful resolution of disputes
  
• Abstention from the big power military alliances and pacts.
  
• Opposition to stationing of military bases in foreign countries.
  
  
  At the seventh summit held in New Delhi in March 1983, the movement described itself as "history's biggest peace movement".
  
• The movement places equal emphasis on disarmament.
  
•  The Non-Aligned Movement has become a voice of support for issues facing developing nations.
  
• The movement has become a stronger voice for the global South .
  
• The movement's leaders have also criticised the American control over the United Nations and other international issues.
  
• The Non-Aligned Movement has been quite outspoken in its criticism of current UN structures and power dynamics
  
• The Non-Aligned Movement has identified economic underdevelopment, poverty, and social injustices as growing threats to peace and security .
  
  
  
  NAM- ITS RELEVANCE.
  
  After the breakup of Yugoslavia, a founding member, its membership was suspended in 1992.
  
  In 2004, Malta and Cyprus withdrew from NAM  and joined the European Union. Belarus remains the sole member of the Movement in Europe.
  
• 
  
• The NAM's relevance after the collapse of the Soviet Union has been questioned, with some  saying the organisation has outlived its usefulness.
  
• 
  
• In 2003, Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa - the NAM chair country at the time - warned that the movement's future depended on its response to global challenges. He called on the NAM to take stronger resolutions on issues of concern.
  
• With its diverse membership, consensus-building is no easy task in the NAM. Some members, including India and Pakistan, have been at loggerheads for years.