Editorial Comment: NAM must be decisive on West’s wholesale imposition of sanctions

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With more than 100 nations attending the NAM summit, 100 nations that exclude the United States of America, the European Union and their allies, it is unfortunate that the best way the US could react to the NAM summit was by way of calling it a non-event.
We also believe that France’s call on the Syrian rebels to form a government that they will recognise is an attempt to avert attention on the NAM proceedings.
When two-thirds of the UN’s membership congregate and show solidarity with Iran, this cannot be a non-event.
The nations gathered in Tehran, including heads of state and government who will hold their summit today and tomorrow, were not coerced to attend.
Just as there was a realisation to form the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War in 1961, the continued existence of the organisation is premised on the fact that the world has not become a better and peaceful place.
Thus the leadership whose people are directly affected by such a turbulent world continue to find it reasonable to come together to look for solutions for the myriad of challenges they face. Non-members cannot dictate who should attend and where the summits are held.
Egypt’s deputy foreign minister put it succinctly: “Today we are at a time in which, without exaggeration, international relations are quite sensitive . . . The meeting is providing a more advanced look at (global) developments by reinforcing co-operation among developing countries and international organisations.”
For Tehran, hosting the NAM summit and also assuming the presidency from Egypt is commendable, considering the threats they face regarding their nuclear programme. This has raised Iran’s status on the international arena.
If Britain’s status was elevated through the hosting of the London Olympics, why should Tehran’s status not be raised through the NAM Summit?
Hosting such prestigious events attended by many heads of state and government requires a huge investment in infrastructure, training of personnel, security and others.
The illegal sanctions imposed on Iran and the disturbances in the Middle East were major threats to the hosting of the summit.
The propaganda on Iran from the Western media was meant to discourage many member states from attending, but this dismally failed. Iran ended up the victor.
The Egypt/Iran paradox is another interesting element of NAM. Not only is Egypt’s new president Mohammed Mursi attending, even the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, is expected to attend, a major surprise to the Anglo-Saxon world that fails to acknowledge the importance of the numbers game in UN membership, including population and ownership of the world’s natural resources.
We echo sentiments published in The Korea Herald early this week that Mr Ban’s decision “to attend the summit over objections from the US and Israel appears to have boosted the Iranian government, which has tried to use its hosting of the event to break through its international isolation”.
“The UN chief has made the right decision to join the meeting to be attended by some 120 non-aligned nations . . . Mr Ban would not have met his responsibility as head of the world body if he  turned his back on the Non-Aligned Movement members.”
We hope that NAM’s aspirations for greater accountability from the UN Security Council and greater involvement in global decision-making will be seriously considered, since UN reform has been on the table for some time.
We also hope that the Middle East crisis, including Syria, Iran and Palestine, will thoroughly be discussed and lasting solutions on peace and security found. The embargo on Cuba should also receive attention, including the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
Other critical issues that we hope to be discussed are the state of the world economy and how it impacts on NAM members; climate change; unemployment; poverty; disease; and beneficiation of natural resources.
NAM this year celebrates 51 years. It is time that it starts transforming itself into a vibrant and relevant 21st century organisation that proactively deals with challenges. Its deliberations should also be binding so that it avoids being labelled a toothless bulldog.
Thus the Tehran summit should be a moment of reflection on the organisation’s existence. Has it fulfilled its aspirations?
When Harare hosted the summit in 1986, Zimbabwe was still a new nation. The massive attendance by world leaders was a show of support and encouragement for a nation that was coming out of a bitter and protracted liberation struggle but which was also ready to rebuild the nation.
Twenty-six years later, Zimbabwe attends the NAM Summit battered and bruised by illegal sanctions imposed by Western nations for asserting its sovereignty.
Both Iran and Zimbabwe share similar experiences, but they have sought solidarity from their friends, the majority of whom are members of NAM.
Thus the 2012 NAM Summit should decisively deal with the indiscriminate imposition of sanctions on sovereign member states by Western countries. Who knows who might be the next victim?