'NAM Cannot Equivocate On Terrorism'

Full text of the statement by the PM at the XIV NAM Summit:

I would like to congratulate Cuba on its assumption of the Chair of NAM. Wewish President Fidel Castro a speedy recovery, good health and a long life.

We would also like to compliment Prime Minister Badawi for his skilfulstewardship of our movement.

Mr. Chairman, our beloved Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, one of thearchitects of this Movement, said, "Non-alignment is freedom of action whichis a part of independence." He wanted us to judge issues "in full freedomand without any pre-conceived partisan bias." This vision must continue toshape our perspectives in the years ahead.

Mr. Chairman, we live in an increasingly interdependent world. The challengeahead is to promote a balanced and equitable management of this interdependenceof nations. As globalization progresses, national and regional boundaries arebecoming less and less relevant. Our problems are global, so must our solutionsbe.

The United Nations played a creative and a critical leadership role inshaping the international agenda in the past. It has to do so again. Reformingthe UN and revitalizing the UN General Assembly is a pressing imperative. Thedeveloping world must find its due representation among the permanent members ofthe UN Security Council. We must join hands with other like minded countries topromote democratization of processes of global governance, ushering in a newglobal polity, based on the rule of law, reason and equity.

We, the members of the Non-Aligned Movement constitute more than half of themembership of the United Nations. Our collective strength is unmatched, and wemust now unite behind a common and a fundamentally new vision of "inclusiveglobalization".

In economic affairs, the biblical saying "to him that hath shall begiven" has wide applicability. Globalisation must be accompanied by a morebalanced and equitable distribution of its benefits. Otherwise the globalresponse to challenges will remain uneven and partial at best.

As non-aligned countries, we led the struggle against attempts to divide theworld into ideologically irreconciliable blocs. We espoused peacefulco-existence and the higher cause of humanity beyond racial divisions. Today, weagain confront the danger of the world being split along an artificially createdcultural and religious divide.

The Non-Aligned Movement, encompassing as it does, every religion professedby mankind, every ethnic group and ideological persuasion, is uniquely placedtoday, once again, to play the role of a bridge of understanding. Ourcooperative world view is in itself a rejection of the notion of a "clash ofcivilizations". Rather, our message to the world should be that it is possibleto work for a "confluence of civilizations".

If NAM is to be relevant in today's circumstances, it cannot afford toequivocate on the subject of terrorism. A message must emanate from us that weare united in our desire to fight and eliminate the scourge of terrorism. Wecannot allow the forces of intolerance and extremism to distract the world'sattention from the vital concerns of our people – the problems of poverty,ignorance and disease.

Mr. Chairman, the emerging fault lines of the new ideological divide arenowhere more apparent today than in West Asia. We have just been witness to atragic and pointless war in Lebanon. It has only sharpened the sense ofalienation and resentment, brutalizing a country that had just begun to reclaimits heritage of inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony after years ofconflict.

I would recommend that we constitute a suitable high level group for WestAsia. The group could undertake a sustained mission to promote understanding inthe region and assist in the implementation of the agreed roadmap towards acomprehensive peace. The international community must address more fully itsresponsibility to resolve this issue and bring to an end once and for all thelong years of suffering of the Palestinian people.

In 1988 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had presented to the UN General Assemblya detailed and credible Action Plan for Nuclear Disarmament. I believe the timehas come for NAM to once again assume an active and leading role in advocatingnuclear disarmament. India has prepared a Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmamentwhich will be circulated as a document at the UNGA Session this year. We wouldinvite fellow members of NAM to join us in our efforts to achieve universalnuclear disarmament and a world free of all nuclear weapons.

Mr. Chairman, at the First World Summit on the Environment, Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi declared, "there is no first, second or third world; we are allpart of One World". The Non-Aligned Movement should take the lead inarticulating a "new paradigm of energy security", that addresses the needsof all peoples and of our planet.

India proposes the establishment of a NAM Working Group on Energy Security todraw up a NAM Action Plan for Energy Security to address the energy challengesof the future. India would be prepared to coordinate such a group.

Mr. Chairman, African countries form the largest single grouping in NAM aswell as in the U.N.G.A. The future of our planet is inextricably linked to thedestiny of Africa. I believe this is an opportune time for us to take a majorNAM initiative on Africa.

The NAM initiative would focus on human resource and agriculturaldevelopment. It would involve setting up of a mechanism, in cooperation with theAfrican Union, to pool our assets for investment in the future of Africa. Wewould be prepared to work together with other interested NAM countries onelaborating the NAM Initiative on Africa.

Mr. Chairman, if we wish to revitalize the Non-Aligned Movement thecollective message of our Summit must be seen as being central to the success ofglobal efforts to deal with urgent transnational issues – be it terrorism,pandemics, energy security or the environment. As a group we have rejectedextremes. We must spread the message of Gandhiji, the apostle of peace. Ourvoice must then be one of moderation, harmony and reason. If such is the voiceof more than half of the people of the world, it will prevail. And, it willguide the destiny of our planet.