The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is an inter-governmental organisation of states representing the interests and concerns of developing countries.
NAM has its origin in the Asia-Africa Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955. That meeting was convened upon the invitation of the Prime Ministers of Burma, Ceylon, India, Indonesia and Pakistan and brought together leaders of 29 states, mostly former colonies, to discuss common priorities and to develop joint policies in international relations.
Following this, a meeting for the First NAM Summit Conference was held in Cairo, from 5-12 June 1961 The Havana Declaration of 1979 defined the organisation’s focus to be “the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries” in their struggle against imperialism, colonialism, racism, and all other forms of foreign aggression.
Currently, the organisation has 118 members and 18 observer countries. It represents nearly two-thirds of the United Nations’ members and 55% of the world population, particularly countries considered to be developing or part of the third world.
