Non-Aligned Movement condemns Israeli aggression, calls for Palestine’s full UN membership

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The 19th Midterm Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) officially opened on Wednesday, October 15, in Munyonyo, Kampala, with foreign ministers from across member states delivering a strong condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and its recent strikes on Iran. 

The two-day meeting, chaired by Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Jeje Odongo Abubakkar, convened under the theme of reinforcing multilateralism and solidarity among NAM member states.

The ministers gathered to assess progress on resolutions from the 19th NAM Summit held in Kampala in January 2024 and to address emerging global challenges, particularly the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. 

African Union Commission representative, Ambassador Moussa Mohamed Omar, noted that if the nations put their efforts together, they will be able to build a new world order that is strong and secure. “This meeting provides us with an opportunity to evaluate the progress made since the last summit. The African Union reiterates its support for all member countries. We are encouraged by the new momentum and wish this meeting great success in its deliberations,” he said. 

On his part, United Nations Secretary General Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Africa, Huang Xia, congratulated Uganda for the work done since assuming the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). 

“The United Nations Secretary-General would have loved to be here today, but prior engagements prevented him from attending. However, he sends his warm greetings. Allow me to extend our appreciation to the Ugandan authorities for excellently organising this event. The NAM has played a significant role in promoting dialogue among countries of the Global South,” he said. 

He noted that this conference is taking place at a time when the world is grappling with major challenges, including climate change, rising extremism, debt crises, and ongoing conflicts. 

“The African great lakes region, in particular, continues to face humanitarian concerns and human rights violations. In this increasingly multipolar world, it is more important than ever to maintain international peace, security, and solidarity,” he noted. 

In their official communiqué, the ministers “strongly condemned the illegal Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip, the indiscriminate attacks against Palestinian civilians, civilian objects, including schools, hospitals, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) facilities sheltering persons, mosques, churches and bakeries, (and) the forced displacement of the Palestinian population.” 

They further “reiterated the need for substantial and urgent progress to be made towards achieving an end to the Israeli occupation, including achievement of the independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to achieve a two-state solution, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.” 

In a major diplomatic statement, the Movement “affirmed support for the State of Palestine to be admitted as a full Member State of the United Nations to take its rightful place among the community of nations and called for favourable consideration by the United Nations Security Council of the State of Palestine’s revived application for admission to United Nations membership without further delay.”

The ministers also condemned Israel’s continued settlement construction and expansion activities throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as in the Occupied Syrian Golan, stressing that the Palestinian crisis poses “great risks to regional and international peace and security.”

Beyond the Israel-Palestine conflict, NAM sharply criticised the recent Israeli attacks on Iran.

The statement “condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the wanton, unprovoked, and premeditated heinous attacks by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran… including airstrikes… resulting, among others, in the death and injury of hundreds of civilians, including women and children, scientists and university professors, as well as high-ranking military officials.”

The Movement warned against what it termed the “categorisation of countries as good or evil based on unilateral and unjustified criteria” and opposed “the adoption of the doctrine of pre-emptive attack, including attack by nuclear weapons by certain States.”

The ministers described such actions as blatant violations of the UN Charter and international law.

NAM reaffirmed its broader commitment to peace, sovereignty, and global cooperation, emphasising that “effective implementation of the Outcomes of the XIX Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement… requires the unwavering commitment of all NAM Member States to decisively address the challenges faced in the areas of peace and security, development, human rights and international cooperation.” 

The Kampala meeting also sought to revitalise and reinvigorate the role of the Movement in the contemporary international situation, underscoring its founding principles established at Bandung in 1955 and Belgrade in 1961, to strive towards a peaceful, equitable, and prosperous world. 

Delegates reconfirmed their support for multilateralism with the United Nations at its core, calling for the strengthening of the UN’s capacity to fulfil its mandate and preserve its democratic, intergovernmental character. 

The meeting is expected to run through Thursday and is expected to conclude with a renewed call for global solidarity, particularly on issues of peace, human rights, and the protection of nations’ sovereignty amid growing geopolitical tensions. 



Inside the NAM Kampala Declaration 

In the official communiqué titled “Kampala Declaration Of The 19th Midterm Ministerial Meeting Of The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),” the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to “defend, preserve and promote the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law,” while emphasizing the Movement’s enduring relevance in a period of “escalating geopolitical tensions.” 

The declaration stressed NAM’s commitment to “the principles of sovereignty and sovereign equality of States, territorial integrity, mutual respect, non-intervention and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.” 

However, the document’s strongest language was reserved for Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. 

The ministers said they were “gravely concerned at the dangerous deterioration of the situation on the ground, and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis being endured by Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip,” where the population is suffering “immense loss of life and injury, starvation and the spread of disease, widespread destruction of their homes and massive forced displacement.” 

The Kampala Declaration accused Israel, “the occupying Power,” of attacks on homes, refugee camps, and vital civilian infrastructure, including “UNRWA schools, humanitarian facilities, hospitals, and water systems.” It also condemned the continuing siege of Gaza, which it said was “impeding humanitarian access and the entry of food, water, medicine, fuel and other essential supplies.” 

In a decisive call to the international community, NAM urged the full and immediate implementation of UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/27, adopted on June 12, 2025, which demands that Israel lift its blockade and open all border crossings into Gaza. 

The ministers expressed “support for the ongoing efforts by the two Member States of NAM, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar, to reach an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”

The Kampala Declaration also commended Egypt for hosting the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit on October 13, 2025, which focused on enforcing the ceasefire agreement reached on October 9 and advancing a political settlement. 

The ministers noted the role of Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States in brokering the accord and reaffirmed commitment to the Two-State Solution based on international law. 

The document acknowledged and appreciated the participation of several NAM members—including Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, in building momentum for the Sharm el-Sheikh process, urging them to “provide all means to follow up on the implementation of the provisions of the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement and maintain its continuity.” 

Beyond Gaza, the Movement condemned Israel’s actions in the Occupied Syrian Golan, demanding its withdrawal to the June 4, 1967, borders, in line with UN Security Council resolutions. 

It also welcomed the “historic change taking place in the Syrian Arab Republic,” affirming solidarity with the Syrian people in their quest for “security, stability, full sovereignty, recovery, and reconstruction.” 

NAM ministers further condemned “all acts of continued aggression committed by Israel against the Syrian Arab Republic, including the most recent aggressions, the continuous Israeli interference in Syrian internal affairs,” and urged the UN Security Council to “take the necessary measures to prevent its recurrence.” 

The Kampala Declaration also denounced Israel’s attacks against Lebanon, calling them “a flagrant violation of international law,” and demanded Israel’s immediate and unconditional withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006).

On broader global issues, the ministers reaffirmed the need to counter threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts and emphasised that “eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions remains the greatest global challenge and the overarching objective of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

The Kampala Declaration ultimately underscored NAM’s vision of a world founded on multilateral cooperation, justice, and mutual respect — values first articulated at Bandung (1955) and Belgrade (1961) and now reasserted in Kampala seven decades later.