Speaking at the NAM Summit’s plenary session, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Manmohan Singh called upon member countries to fight terrorism and ensure their territories are not used as safe havens by terrorists. Singh is scheduled to meet his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of the Summit and push for greater Pakistani action against the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Tensions between the two countries are at a high, and India has refused to continue with the composite dialogue until Pakistan takes serious action against terrorists operating from its territory.
Other Heads of States also spoke against terrorism and the need for solidarity between member countries to fight the menace. In its earlier summits during the Cold War, the group had described itself as the ‘largest peace movement.’ Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation were propagated as an important means towards ensuring world peace. The threat of proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology to and by terrorists is a serious concern, and terrorism can no longer be looked at in isolation. Nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and security need to be a part of the equation.
At the last NAM Summit in Cuba in September 2006 member countries agreed “to continue pursuing universal and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament, as well as a general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control and in this context, to work towards the objective of arriving at an agreement on a phased program for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons within a specified framework of time to eliminate nuclear weapons, to prohibit their development, production, acquisition, testing, stockpiling, transfer, use or threat of use and to provide for their destruction.” As such the group has repeatedly called upon the United States and Russia to reduce its nuclear arsenal. The recent agreement between the two countries could reduce their arsenals by almost a third of the current stockpile.
However, NAM members like India, Pakistan and North Korea have chosen to develop and multiply their nuclear arsenals. At a time when the NAM is struggling to retain its relevance in a unipolar world order, the group would be well served to take proactive steps towards seeking disarmament by its own members.
Prior to the Summit, the Indian PM spoke about helping NAM regain its “moral high ground.” To do that and be taken seriously in multilateral disarmament efforts, the NAM needs to do away with the nuclear hypocrisy of its members. As one of the founding members it is incumbent upon India to lead the way on these matters. It should reconsider its position on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). With two nuclear weapon countries as neighbors, the strategic risks of joining the NPT and CTBT, and nuclear disarmament are definitely high for India. It stands to lose one of its most powerful deterrents against two of its most belligerent neighbors. However, it would be beneficial for both the NAM and India to at least begin exploring nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in the South Asian region through the NAM forum in spite of the current freeze in bilateral dialogue. Both India and Pakistan need to understand the larger impact of their nuclear capabilities.
The group should also try to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, and get back to the Six-party talks. Similarly Iran, which is in line for Chairmanship in 2012, should be urged to restrict its nuclear program to peaceful purposes.
It is a tall order for any organization with diverse and conflicting members to put aside differences and work towards a larger goal like disarmament. However, it is not impossible and the NAM should explore the feasibility of such measures. It stands the risk of increasing differences between its members, which could spill over into deliberations of other economic and social issues. But nuclear disarmament is an important aspect of world security, and the NAM’s rhetoric needs to be followed up by action.
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