After Uganda hosted the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and G77+ China Summits in Kampala, I felt it prudent that I focus my analytical scope on the relevance of NAM in the current political climate. 

It is my strong view that this movement’s relevance is needed today as much as it was during the time of its inception. Therefore, NAM occupies an important place in contemporary Global political space.

The major reason NAM was formed back in 1955 was to create a corridor of peace in global politics of the time between the two camps of the Soviets and the Capitalist West. 

The USSR and the USA had created a belligerent atmosphere on the Global Political Stage. The two hegemons sucked other smaller countries into their political and economic orbits. 

Consequently, proxy conflicts and distant battlegrounds became a favoured way for the USSR and USA to intimidate and defeat each other. 

The movement is one of the largest inter-governmental bodies with 120 member countries. Its members are mostly from Asian and African countries. 

This is significant because these two regions represent the highest percentage of the human population and interact easily under the auspices of south-south cooperation. 

Borrowing a quote from one of the prominent NAM proponents, the late Fidel Castro of Cuba in his Havana Declaration of 1979; NAM is to ensure ‘the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries’ in their ‘struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics.’ 

The declaration summarises NAM’s purpose candidly and speaks to the aspirations that every NAM member ought to hold as they navigate the current global political climate.  

The issues of interest for NAM are of paramount importance, given the current political atmosphere in the international arena. These issues of interest range from respect for international law, peaceful settlement of disputes and non-use of force, right to self-government and decolonization to international security, regional security, terrorism, UN reform, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. 

These issues are the kryptonite to international peace and finding a solution to them is vital to change the course of world politics, especially in our contemporary political climate. 

Conflicts in both Gaza and Ukraine, tensions between the United States and China, the climate crisis and the recent COVID-19 pandemic pose a real risk to long-term international security and peace. 

NAM members should feel empowered and emboldened to change the narrative and the power dynamics within the international Arena. Crises that are facing our world today are proof that the current international order is flailing and either needs reform or a complete overhaul. 

Most NAM member states may not be the richest or have the most influence individually but together they form a vital bloc that can steer international political discourse in a direction that serves everyone equally and respectfully. 

Therefore, the Munyonyo NAM summit raised the stakes for Non-aligned countries and most especially the summit’s chair, Uganda. As a small developing land-locked nation, Uganda has exceeded expectations by proving to be a force that cannot be ignored in both international and regional political discourse. 

The 19th NAM summit has presented an opportunity for Uganda to score vital political, social and economic points. With avid planning and strategic engagements with relevant stakeholders, Uganda has walked away a winner from this summit with a stellar international reputation. 

The world is truly changing, and at a fast pace, globalization has shattered the cultural barriers and increased interdependence among different civilizations. 

The Internet of things and the rapid development of new technologies have shrunk the space created by geographical barriers between countries and instead have brought everyone closer through the screens of personal computers. 

AI technology is evolving at an uncontrollable speed and has left governments grappling with its regulation. Meanwhile, Africa is still playing catch up with the digital and green economic revolutions. 

Therefore, the timing of the 19th NAM summit in an African country could not have been more perfect. The NAM summit has highlighted Africa in general as a respectable global political player. This has come at a time when the world seeks true multipolarity and seeks to discard the confines of great power politics. 

Africa through Uganda is sending out a clear message that the days of the ‘status quo’ are nearing the end and it is time for the so-called great powers to embrace a world of real equality where unilateral decision-making on global issues will become a relic of the past.  

President Yoweri Museveni, who has been elected as the chair for NAM has always championed pan-Africanism and decolonisation. 

Now he has a loud microphone to further this agenda and rally like-minded African leaders around these two concepts. The future for a multipolar world looks promising and African nations are increasingly playing a key role. This makes NAM more relevant in the contemporary global political space than ever before. 

The writer is a Senior Research Fellow at Development Watch Centre