Reorienting NAM in the 1990s (1)<\/p>\n
Followings are excerpts of a paper presented by Indonesian
\nAmbassador-at-Large Nana S. Sutresna who is also head executive
\nassistant to the NAM Chairman at an international seminar
\nsponsored by the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies in
\nColombo, Sri Lanka, from Jan. 27 to 29.<\/p>\n
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: At the Tenth NAM Summit in 1992 in
\nJakarta, the Leaders of the Movement made their choice. They gave
\nthe realities of the world situation the clear-sighted and
\nrational assessment that is the necessary prelude to resolute and
\neffective action. They then declared that, as a political
\ncoalition representing more sovereign states than any other
\ngrouping in history, the Movement should not be a mere spectator
\nand should not resign itself to being sidelined in the currents
\nof historic change. The movement, they stressed, must dynamically
\nadapt to these currents by setting new priorities and reordering
\nold ones, by devising new approaches and new strategies.<\/p>\n
Acknowledging that stereotyped responses would fall short of
\nthe demands of the time and that the mere cataloging of
\ngrievances, anxieties and hopes would be an exercise in futility,
\nthe Movement proceeded to craft the concepts and modalities that
\nwould be the basis and the framework of the concrete programs to
\nwhich the members would commit themselves. At the same time it
\ngirded itself for a vigorous advocacy that would place the views
\nand concrete proposals of the Movement into the mainstream of
\ninternational thought and action. Knowing that the Movement
\ncannot increase the effectiveness of its external action if it
\ncannot improve the efficiency of its internal functioning, the
\nNAM Leaders also felt that they must attend to important
\nhousekeeping tasks such as the establishment of effective
\norganizational mechanisms, guidelines and procedures. And they
\nstipulated that all these should be done on the basis and within
\nthe framework of NAM's fundamental principles and purposes which
\nhave lost nothing of their validity and relevance, even in
\ntoday's vastly changed world.<\/p>\n
Without neglecting to address the political concerns that have
\ngripped the world and continues to grip the world today, the NAM
\nLeaders took one of the most significant decisions that they have
\ntaken in a long time: they decided to restore the issue of economic
\ncooperation to the top of the Movement's agenda.<\/p>\n
Much was accomplished during that Summit, but perhaps its
\ngreatest single accomplishment is not reflected in the decisions
\ntaken nor in the resolutions passed, but in the fact that when its
\nLeaders emerged from their deliberations, whatever doubts might have
\nlingered before the Summit about the relevance of the Movement had
\ncompletely vanished. The Movement came out of the Summit
\nreinvigorated, strengthened in its resolve and clear in its
\npurposes. Many international observers who were habitually skeptical
\nof the Movement might have been pleasantly surprised; for the first
\ntime they observed a Non-Aligned Summit that was not acrimoniously
\ndwelling on grievances but was instead seeking a constructive
\ndialog and offering to engage the developed world in cooperation
\nin all fields. This became known as the NAM's new orientation,
\nits new approach to solving the interlinked global problems of
\nour time. The old approach which was dogmatic and adversarial had
\nnot worked and so the NAM Leaders decided that it be abandoned.
\nAt the same time, they committed themselves to giving this new
\nand flexible approach ample chance to work.<\/p>\n
The application of that new approach is never more evident than
\nin the Movement's current advocacy and pursuit of a global North-
\nSouth partnership as well as an intensified South-South cooperation
\nfor development. Soon after convening a meeting of the Standing
\nMinisterial Committee for Economic Cooperation in Bali in May 1993
\nto thresh out ways and means of moving the North-South and South-
\nSouth processes forward, President Soeharto, as NAM Chairman, seized
\nthe opportunity to extend the Movement's "Invitation to Dialogue"
\nto the Leaders of the Group of Seven on the event of their Summit
\nMeeting in Tokyo. The positive response of the Leaders of G-7 to
\nour Movement's offer of cooperation and constructive dialog,
\nwhich they articulated at the conclusion of the Tokyo Summit and
\nthen again after the Group's Summit in Napoli the following year,
\nhas since been carried further by the NAM. Working with the Group
\nof 77 and other like-minded countries, including developed
\ncountries, the NAM initiated a draft resolution entitled, Renewal
\nof the Dialogue on Strengthening International Cooperation for
\nDevelopment through Partnership. That the resolution was adopted
\nby consensus clearly indicates that the international community
\nsupports the basic strategy of the NAM for achieving a new and
\nmore just international economic order.<\/p>\n
An important aspect of the resolution was a request to the
\nSecretary-General to present the forty-ninth session of the United
\nNations General Assembly with recommendation on how the
\nenvisioned North-South dialog could be promoted in a way which
\nwould reflect the ongoing work on an Agenda for Development. In
\nthis regard, the Secretary-General has issued his report on An
\nAgenda for Development which we hope will bolster the prospects
\nfor balanced global economic growth. Our NAM Coordinating Bureau,
\nworking with the Group of 77, is playing an active role in the
\ndeliberations on that Agenda. The NAM is also very much involved
\nin high level discussions in the General Assembly to spell out
\nfurther how the North-South dialog should be conducted. In this
\nprocess, the Movement has once again shown a pragmatism and a
\nflexibility that have struck a positive chord among its intended
\ndialog partners. For example, the Movement has made it known that
\nit is ready and willing to dialog on matters of common interest
\nwith the developed countries of the North in any forum which is
\nmutually acceptable. This is a far cry from the position it had
\nassumed some years ago that it would only engage in dialog in
\ncertain specific forums.<\/p>\n
The same kind of pragmatism and flexibility could govern the
\napproaches of the Member Countries of the Movement to
\ninternational financial institutions. In contrast, many Member
\nCountries used to apply a double standard in dealing with these
\ninstitutions: they regarded these institutions as political
\ndisagreeable, but bilaterally, none of these countries could do
\nwithout these institutions. We the countries in the Non-Aligned
\nMovement are probably making greater use of these institutions
\ntoday with this difference: because of our non-confrontational,
\ncooperative approach, there has been no occasion for us to
\nantagonize them politically. I believe this will work well for
\nthe international financial institutions and for the Movement
\nknowing that Non-Aligned Countries have no political agenda that
\nis adverse to them, the international financial institutions
\nmight indeed become more receptive to the views of NAM members.<\/p>\n
A start has thus been made in redefining the relationship
\nbetween the developing countries in the Movement with the
\ninternational financial institutions. I think that this should be
\nfollowed through with a concerted effort on the part of NAM
\ncountries to take active part in the forthcoming review of the
\nBretton Woods institutions. It is important that developing
\ncountries, such as the NAM membership should be able to arrive at a
\ncommon approach on how to improve the efficacy and efficiency of
\nthese institutions which, after all, have a special role to play in
\nthe South-South process. The NAM is mindful of the fact that many
\nprojects of great merit within the framework of South-South
\ncooperation could have withered on the vine if it were not for a
\nthird party, often an international financial institution, which
\ncame to the rescue.<\/p>\n
Cognizant of the reality of the intertwined fate and
\nfortunes of the North and the South and realizing fully that we
\nare entering a new era after the end of the Cold War, we are all
\nconfronted by the imperative need to make mutual adjustments. For
\nits part, the Non-Aligned Movement has gone the "extra mile" in
\norder to make the appropriate adjustments by adopting an entirely
\nnew orientation community and with international institutions.
\nThis, I believe, is no mean contribution to the relaunching of a
\nmore earnest and effective global dialog. The responses to this
\nradical change in style has not at all been discouraging.<\/p>\n
There is a growing recognition on the part of some of the major
\ndeveloped countries that the NAM has indeed adopted a moderate
\napproach and is now greatly imbued with the spirit of concialition
\nand cooperation. Some governments in the West have even shown a
\ngreater appreciation of the goals that the Movement is trying to
\nachieve. What seems to be lacking, however, is that there is no
\ncorresponding reappraisal of the NAM by the international media,
\nparticularly those that are based in Western countries. This is a
\nconcern that I feel the NAM should address seriously in the days
\nahead to that the new orientation and approaches taken by the NAM
\nwould finally be reflected in the media of those countries so that
\nthere would be more vigorous public opinion support for these
\ngovernments in cooperating with and supporting the goals of the
\nNAM.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, South-South cooperation within the Movement has
\nindeed broadened and intensified since the Tenth Summit. The NAM
\naddressed the problem of hunger through an Ad Hoc Advisory Group
\nof Experts which has submitted a proposed Action Program that was
\nadopted by the Conference of the Ministers of Food and
\nAgriculture of the Non-Aligned Movement and other developing
\ncountries held in Bali last October.<\/p>\n
Also being implemented within the framework of South-South
\ncooperation is the NAM initiative on the issue of population. A
\ngroup of experts has likewise been put to work making in-depth
\nstudies on this issue and their recommendations have been
\nsubmitted. One of the results of this effort is a report titled
\nNAM Support for South-South Collaboration in the Field of
\nPopulation and Family Planning which is based on Indonesia's
\nexperience.<\/p>",
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