End of the Road for the Non-Aligned Movement?
The Non-Aligned Movement was formed in 1961 by developing nations as a buffer from the tangle of Cold War machinations and legacies of colonialism. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s prime minister at the time, was a co-founder of the movement, and non-alignment has since been an integral part of the nation’s foreign policy. But the outdated concept has become a platform for troubled states. The movement’s 17th summit, hosted by Venezuela, underscores the struggles, explains Harsh V. Pant, professor of international relations. The bloc has more than 100 member nations, yet only a handful of heads of state attended. The summit did not provide a website or release many details. More telling, despite India’s long history of embracing non-alignment, the prime minister did not attend. Narendra Modi is finding it more useful to develop expansive partnerships with the United States, Japan and other nations, rejecting the pursuit of narrow interests or specific ideology. Non-alignment’s aimless agendas are no longer suitable for a multipolar world. – YaleGlobal