The 17th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (Source: AFP) Margarita (VNA) – The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) kicked off its 17th Summit in Margarita, Venezuela on September 17.
The two-day summit brings together 22 President and Prime Ministers, 11 Vice Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers, heads of delegations of NAM member countries, observatory countries and organisations, and guests.
In his opening remarks, Venezuelan President Nicolas Moduro highlighted the role played by NAM over the past 55 years during struggles for national independence, self-decision, sovereignty, peace and development.
He suggested establishing a Secretariat which will serve as a coordination agency between NAM and the Group of 77, setting up a bank of southern nations, ensuring food sovereignty and connecting social movements of developing countries.
High on the agenda are measures to strengthen solidarity of the Movement and how to carry forward its role in promoting interests of its member countries in major issues like peace, security, disarmament, international system reform, cooperation development, climate change and the realisation of sustainable development goals.
The Non-Aligned Movement is the second largest international organization in the world, after the United Nations (UN). It currently has 120 member states, 17 observer countries, and 10 observer organisations.-VNA
