NAM must play more active role

NAM must play more active role

Indonesia is currently hosting the 40th anniversary
commemoration of the Asia-Africa Conference as well as the Non-
Alignment Movement's ministerial meeting. Noted political
scientist Juwono Sudarsono takes a close look at these important
events.

JAKARTA (JP): Delegates to the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-
Aligned Movement's Coordinating Bureau assemble in Bandung this
week to commemorate and reassert commitments proclaimed at the
Asia Africa Conference forty years ago. These goals, enshrined in
the Ten Bandung Principles and subsequently reappraised,
rephrased and rehearsed in numerous meetings and conferences in
Non-Aligned countries and in United Nations sessions over the
past four decades, today carry an ominous ring : the developed
countries of the North are too busy with their own troubles to
care about the rest of the world.

The Non-Aligned Movement also faces a United Nations long
afflicted by a crisis of legitimacy in the eyes of much of the
developing world. The UN's numerous world summits (economic
order, information order, disarmament, human rights, environment,
population, women and human settlement) are often regarded as
perfunctory measures to contain the periodic anger and
frustration in much of the developing world.

Until the Tenth Summit in Jakarta in 1992, the Non-Aligned
Movement tended to indulge itself in prolonged rhetoric and
negotiated compromises in formulating political and economic
declarations that may be the stuff of diplomacy but all too often
provide little more than a cathartic moment for triumphant but
exhausted diplomats eager to retire to their hotel rooms.

Because of the long-standing frustrations, the Jakarta summit
sought to reorient the strategy of fulfilling the ideals of
Bandung 1955 and of Belgrade 1961. Non-Aligned member-states must
go beyond commemorating ideals and principles. The international
system, however systematically unfair, can only be restructured
through patient and determined hard work on the part of the
developing nations.

Out of personal inclination and preferred strategy, President
Soeharto emphasized the importance of getting the priorities
right: political stability, economic growth and social equity. No
developing nation can embark on the daunting task of moving
forward towards peace and prosperity without achieving these
three basics. Cultural and authority templates of nation and
state must at once be firm and yet flexible if societies wish to
survive the twists and turns of disruptive economic and social
change. True non-alignment begins with strengthening state
identity, alleviating absolute poverty and enhancing human
security at home. These essentials speak louder than elegant
diplomatic formulations.

That strategy was reflected in the Jakarta Message, affirming
the need for the South to embark on a vigilant but realistic
"partnership and cooperation" with the North, as well as
enhancing cooperation within the South where practicable.

For the first time in the history of the Non-Aligned Movement,
the chairman of the Movement underscored that it was imperative
that the summit's commitments be followed through by four
fundamentals: population control, food security, debt management
and sustainable development. President Soeharto's appointment of
a special executive assistant, seven senior economists and four
ambassadors-at-large underscores his seriousness in providing
substance to the Jakarta Message. The concept of a tripartite
arrangement, whereby a G-7 country assists severely indebted low
income countries through the participation of several of the more
fortunate developing nations, was introduced in the meeting
between G-7 leaders and President Soeharto in Tokyo in 1993.

Forty years ago, first generation leaders of Africa and Asia
appealed for emancipation and humanitarian concern. In the
present post-Cold War era, these ideals retain relevance and gain
added urgency for much of Africa, Asia, Latin America and
southern Europe. But even as sustained collective efforts are
important, each developing nation must, above all, start by
helping itself.

Now and in the future, second and third generation leaders of
Non-Aligned countries must simultaneously come to grips with
political order, economic growth, social equity, population
control, food security, debt management and sustainable
development . The collective performances in resolving these
issues will be even more compelling for the credibility of each
member-state and of the Non-Aligned Movement as a whole.

Sound statecraft consists of the combined applications of
word-craft, trade-craft and military-craft. Beyond the solemn
commemorations and discussions of the future strategies of the
Non-Aligned Movement which emanates from Bandung 1995, the simple
but blunt message that present leaders in Non-Aligned countries
must take into full account must surely be: Reduce the wordcraft,
control the military-craft, enhance the trade-craft.

Dr. Juwono Sudarsono is Vice Governor of Lemhanas, the
Indonesian Defense College, Jakarta.