TEHRAN (FNA)- As many as two dozen heads of state and governments arrived in Baku on Thursday, the capital of Azerbaijan, to attend a two-day Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit.
The 18th forum of the 120-member group covering 55% of the world's population discussed responses to contemporary challenges around the world, at a time when the relevance of the NAM in the post-Cold War era is under serious question. This is because the terms of engagement have changed and the grouping which is not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc, faces a new reality check.
Does the largest group of states in the world after the United Nations want to be a glitzy venue for heavy hitters, eager handshakes, chaotic queues and international etiquette norms, or does it want to become a true force for change, a relevant international mechanism that actually helps to resolve conflicts for the sake of the South and the North alike?
Undoubtedly, for instance, NAM has the edge to revive its original aspirations and begin planning for a future without war in Syria, because some of its members are directly or indirectly involved in that country’s eight-year crisis and can help to this end. The war-torn Arab state has struggled to lure foreign investment to fund reconstruction and manufacturing projects to create millions of jobs, as foreign, private-sector investors hesitate over the commercial viability of projects and security. NAM shouldn’t stay out of the picture.
Amid a national system in chaos that continues to be hollowed out, day by day, week by week, NAM also has the edge to begin planning for a future without hunger, illness and infrastructure collapse in Yemen. It is another draw for NAM countries, for which Sana’a is seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign direct investment trends. This could come in the form of supporting the people of Yemen, its communities and institutions to rebuild their future through a series of infrastructure investments and programs.
Syria and Yemen may be an immediate reality check for NAM, but the real test of confidence in the multilateral body will involve a longer-term assessment of its regional and trans-regional peace initiatives and programs, ones that construct an inclusive and sustainable way of development that doesn’t dim the beacon of hope for return of millions of refugees and displaced people from across the globe.
It’s quite a story that many NAM members are yet to take in that the task ahead is enormous: The Middle East and parts of Africa continue to destabilize; civilian infrastructures are left uninhabitable; communities are sent into various forms of exile, uncertain about their future; Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Libya remain failed states after years of war and foreign intervention, while there are other kinds of uncertainty that go on largely unnoticed - and unresolved – in parts of Africa.
In the midst of such chaos, NAM member states have the requisite knowledge and ideological coherence not to let things get uglier than this. They can start by reopening their embassies in the capitals of war-torn countries to normalize ties and help with efforts to achieve social cohesion, justice, equity, prosperity, and sustainability for all. Like so much else, and from the standard bullet-point repertoire of these countries, NAM is expected to offer something new in its policy.
Let’s review then: In a lonely spot as 2019 ends, NAM will be flogging a dead horse if it remains nothing more than a mere political formality, or if it doesn’t challenge everything that endless conflicts represent. NAM members should express their opposition to a policy that unsurprisingly creates human misery and restore hope for millions seeking respite and sanctuary from ridiculous wars. One major element behind the constant misery of these nations has always been the United States' unilateralism and hegemonic policies, including its sanctions against more than two dozen nations. NAM needs to take action to stand against the US meddling in this part of the world and defy the White House dictates on its member states, including its sanctions policy that has been a straight blow to the sovereignty of other nations. If NAM continues compliance with the US excessive demands and hegemonic rule, the organization has failed its raison de etre.
A real commitment to peace efforts and reconstruction programs would also start with investing in the future of war-torn nations. It would begin with agreeing to fulfil the pleas of the UN for a modest development program to rebuild and redevelop their infrastructures. A shift in policy would include abandoning the illusion of “this is someone else’s war” to maintain status quo, so that some regional and trans-regional states wouldn't bear a disproportionate burden.
The time is now for NAM to enhance its international stature by meaningfully addressing the root causes of multi-generational conflicts that benefit no one. The only way to wind down such conflicts is through a negotiated settlement involving all actors with no strings attached. Talks between main players have to pick up, aimed at win-win resolutions. The body can either play an effective role in such efforts or pass into oblivion as an old-fashioned entity already subject to myriad weaknesses and controversies.
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