Daily News Online
 

Friday, 19 March 2010

News Bar »

News: Another betrayal by Sarath Fonseka ...        Political: Moneragala nomination fiasco: Tissakuttiarachchi stays removed ...       Business: Room for investors, business development in Colombo, Greater Colombo, North, East: Sustainable towns for Lanka ...        Sports: Basnahira North on a run spree - 380 for 6 ...

Home

 | SHARE MARKET  | EXCHANGE RATE  | TRADING  | SUPPLEMENTS  | PICTURE GALLERY  | ARCHIVES | 

dailynews
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

NAM relevant than ever

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was formed nearly fifty years ago in June 1961 at its founding summit in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Its precursor was the Asian-African conference held in Bandung in 1955 convened by Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Burma and Indonesia and attended by a total of 29 nations representing more than half the world population.

It was a logical consequence of decolonization and the emergence of a large number of newly independent states, principally in Asia and Africa. The movement comprised the majority of the world's nations that represented the overwhelming majority of the world's population.

At the height of the cold war NAM continued to be independent of both power blocs. It pursued a policy of peaceful coexistence of States with different socio-economic systems and upheld the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all nations. It advocated the solution of problems between States through negotiations.

Though NAM remained equidistant from both power blocs at that time, it nevertheless was politically not neutral. It consistently supported the national liberation movement and the independence of states. It fought both imperialism and neo-colonialism.

With the demise of the Soviet Union and the system of socialist states cynics openly expressed the opinion that NAM had lost its relevance. This opinion was found in our country too. However, NAM survived up to date and it has taken new significance now.

From its inception NAM continued to fight for a new world economic order. In the United Nations and in its agencies and other multilateral fora the NAM continues to represent the developing nations in their struggle for justice and equality. Specifically, it has championed the reform of the United nations, the international financial institutions and other world bodies.

With the emergence and proliferations of terrorism it is spearheading the struggle to eliminate terrorism from the earth. The voice of NAM is heard strongly in the trade negotiations in the Doha Round. The combined strength of NAM has prevented the developed nations from proceeding with unjust restrictions on trade and using non-trade issues as a method to perpetuate their dominance in the international market. Thus the NAM has been invigorated with a new dynamism.

Sri Lanka has benefitted twice in the recent past due to the timely intervention of the NAM on her behalf. The first was last year at the Human Right Council of the United Nations in Geneva when leading members of the NAM joined with other nations to defeat categorically a resolution brought up by certain Western powers deploring alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka during the last phase of the war against terror.

Again last week the NAM sent a strong note of protest against attempted interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka by the Secretary General of the United Nations by appointing an expert panel to advise him on the country.

On both occasions the NAM was defending the sovereignty of our country, true to its founding principles.

Though there was a period after the demise of the Soviet Union in which certain members of the movement swayed towards the sole superpower left, the ascendance of a multi-polar world on the horizon has helped the NAM to regain its original focus.

Members of NAM are beginning to play a leading role in international affairs and some of them such as India, China, Brazil and South Africa are developing to be the leaders of the world in the not too distant future.

In the present context in which the world balance of forces is shifting towards the Third World the relevance of the NAM is greater than ever. Sri Lanka, as a founding member, should play its honourable part in strengthening and carrying forward the principles of the NAM in the international arena for its own benefit and that of the world.

Looking back on 50 years

He is very close to the people of his electorate whom he has nurtured for more than 50 years. It is this feeling about him that has ensured the continuing confidence of the majority of people in the Horana electorate.

Full Story

THINKING Cap

Is UN pushing the world in to World War three?

In view of the recent references made by the UN Secretary General regarding the Sri Lankan conflict and its aftermath, it has become necessary to evaluate the World Body in its current role as against the purpose for which the UN was originally set up in 1945.

Full Story

The Morning Inspection

The naming game of racism: Farveez, Jehan and Izeth

I am not conversant with court procedure and I don’t know if there’s any truth in some of the techniques lawyers are supposed to employ as described by novelists. What I find ‘plausible’ might be pure fiction.

Full Story

 

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

www.lanka.info
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk
www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lanka
www.peaceinsrilanka.org
www.army.lk
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL)

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sport | World | Letters | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2010 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor