Reorienting NAM in the 1990s (2)
Reorienting NAM in the 1990s (2)
This is the second of two articles excerpted from a paper presented by Indonesian Ambassador-at-Large Nana S. Sutresna at an international seminar in Colombo, Sri Lanka, last week.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Another major burden that the developing countries have to bear is the external debt crisis which constitutes a major drain on the resources of developing countries and has often frustrated their endeavors at development in spite of various strategies tried out by the international community to alleviate this crisis. The NAM therefore decided during the Tenth Summit to continue its consultative process on the external debt on a high intergovernmental level and to formulate policy guidelines that would bring about a comprehensive and durable solution to the problem. In compliance with this decision, the Chairman hosted three meetings of experts on external debt. The result of these meetings was the formulation of a "Memorandum on Urgent Actions on Bilateral, Multilateral and Commercial Debt of the Developing Countries" which was subsequently presented by the NAM Chairman to the Leaders of the Group of Seven through their Chairman on the event of their Tokyo Summit.
Another action-oriented strategy that has been adopted by the Movement is that of self-propelling growth. It has been found effective and appropriate for pursuing South-South cooperation and for achieving sustainable development. Founded on self-reliance, this strategy promotes community-based economic growth as well as the right of the poor to participate in and benefit from development. To further propagate this grass roots approach, Indonesia is going to host the Open-Ended Joint Meeting of Experts and Decision-Makers of Developing Countries on Development Schemes this coming March.
Perhaps the South-South initiative of the NAM that has had the greatest impact is the Asia-Africa Forum which was held last month in, most appropriately, Bandung. In this forum, a follow-up the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), the developing countries of the Far East which have impressed the world with their dynamic growth shared experiences, observations and insights with the developing countries of Africa. The forum has resulted in the establishment of a solid foundation for promotion of development cooperation between Asian and African countries. Now often referred to as the Bandung Forum, it could serve as a model for future South-South cooperation efforts: indeed the discussions were down-to-earth but insightful, and the representation was balanced with African learning from Asia as much as Asia learning from Africa.
Since there will be more such initiatives in South-South cooperation in the future, the question of coordination has to come up. There is need for coordination, too, in the endeavors of the countries of the South to hold dialog and negotiations with the countries of the North. In view of this need for coordination, the NAM, through its Coordinating Bureau and working with the Group of 77, expedited the operationalization of the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) early last year. As a result, the terms of reference of the Joint Coordinating Committee were put into practice soon after the NAM Ministerial Meeting in Cairo, also last year. Thus the two major bodies of developing countries are now able to harness their collective strength to effectively and efficiently pursue various development projects within the framework of South-South cooperation as well as dialog with their counterparts in the developed North.
Among the countries that regard the NAM as a positive force for dialog on international economic issues and with which the NAM will need to be in constant consultation are the newly independent countries which used to belong to the East European Group Countries. Described today as the "countries in transition," they have had a profound impact on the developing world for they do compete with other developing countries for scarce international resources for development. To the Non- Aligned Countries, this is a matter of concern. But the political importance of these countries and the contributions that they could make cannot be overemphasized. We realize also that if there is a deterioration in the situation of these countries, the whole international community will be affected. From a historical perspective, even while they were within the exclusive sphere of influence of the former Soviet Union, these countries in general have often been sympathetic to the developing world. After the breakdown with the Soviet Union, it would seem that these countries, because of their disillusionment with Communism and their urgent need for development resources, have become more orientated towards the West in terms of political values. They do need help and the international community should provide that help, without, however, sacrificing the aspirations of the rest of the developing world.
Realizing that social and economic development can only be secured in a regime of peace, the Non-Aligned Movement continues to be seized with political issues as well as the tensions and conflicts which attend these issues. My personal observation is that during the past two years, the NAM has been growing in importance and effectiveness as an instrumentality for the solution of international political disputes or conflicts. The NAM has played that role primarily through the sending of Special Emissaries of the NAM Chairman to the countries in conflict, most of the time working behind the scenes. The Movement's advocacy for the peaceful solution of conflicts is also being carried out in the forums provided by the workings of the United Nations.
On disarmament issues, the NAM has consistently sought a comprehensive, balanced and non-discriminatory approach. We also agree that security should be sought through total nuclear disarmament, the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction as well as through balanced and progressive reductions of conventional armaments at global and regional levels.
The Movement remains firmly committed to its long-established position that a new international order can only be achieved through the central instrumentality of the United Nations. Moreover, we in the Movement feel that any new international order can only be generally acceptable if it is consistent with the principles and ideals enshrined in the UN Charter. Consequently, a judicious restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations remains in the highest priority of the Movement. In the endeavors to improve the working methods of the General Assembly, the NAM has been an active participant. Further work, however, needs to be done to define a clear concept of the role of the General Assembly so that it can exercise the powers given to it by provisions of the Charter.
We do feel that in the Security Council, the majority is disenfranchised and excluded from much of the decision-making that is taking place. Hence all the Members of our Movement have demanded an expansion of the membership of the Council. They have also called for vigilance to ensure that the Security Council does not encroach on the jurisdiction and prerogatives of the General Assembly. While there is a wide spectrum of views on these important issues, the effectiveness of the NAM as an advocate for reform in the United Nations would depend upon its unity, cohesion and commonality of interests. That is the rationale for the establishment of the Movement's High Level Working Group for the Restructuring of the United Nations which is now actively at work in the General Assembly.
What has become apparent in this spate of activities and involvements of the Movement is that the decisions taken at its Jakarta Summit have not remained decision on paper -- they have been given concrete reality and have assumed a life of their own. Indonesia, as Chairman of the Movement, has made it a point that these decisions should be translated into action. It has also made it a point to remind Members of the Movement to speak and to act in international forums in accordance with the intentions and the spirit of these Summit decisions. At the United Nations in New York, the Coordinating Bureau of the NAM has been meeting regularly to discuss not only the implementation of the decision of the Tenth Summit but also to actively coordinate the positions of the Movement on various issues of importance to the Non- Aligned and other developing countries.
It is possible and I do hope that Indonesia has been able to set a trend in the conduct of the Chairmanship of the Movement. Many more initiatives have to be launched in order to help bring about the Movement's envisioned new international order and in each of these, the Chairmanship plays a central role. Realizing this, the membership of the Movement has provided the Chairmanship with a mechanism for seeking assistance at the highest political level from the appropriate members whenever a common concern becomes urgent or critical. This is in the form of a special mandate which enables the Chairman to form and convene a committee at the Summit or Ministerial level to tackle specific urgent problems. Although there are two formulas for the membership of the committee, the Chairman is free to include any member whose resources and experience would be most appropriate to the task at hand.
It has to be acknowledged, however, that in working for its vision of a new international order, the NAM has to contend with the normal constraints in international cooperation and relations -- not the least of which is the fact that some countries are more powerful than others and they often have their way without regard to the views of their sovereign equals. This fact of international life is apparent even in such a global organization dedicated to democracy-- the United Nations.
The Movement has also to contend with internal constraints, one of which is the fact that there are a few members that are still more comfortable with the old adversarial approach to dealing with the countries of the developed North and with international institutions. It is important to get these members with the old orientation "on board", as a more cohesive Movement would be more beneficial not only to the members but also to the outside world.
A more serious internal constraint is the fact that there are members in a dispute or a state of conflict with one another. It has happened that the Chairmanship had to expend so much time and effort in preventing the meetings of the Movement from becoming a forum for the airing of bilateral grievances and mutual recrimination. This could have a deterrent effect on South-South cooperation and may even undermine the negotiating position of the South vis-a-vis the countries of the North. Thus, always among the first victims of such conflicts is development.
There is therefore a clear and urgent need for the Members of the Movement to evolve a mechanism for the settlement of disputes and management of potential conflict among NAM members. This is one of the urgent concerns that I hope will be taken up in the Eleventh NAM Summit to be held in Colombia in the later part of this year.