NAM Movement Summit Closes with 680 Points Statement but Results Pertaining Syria Doubtful.

Today the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran will be wrapped up with a statement that contains 680 clauses. Pertinent questions about the abuse of the ICC for political trials and victors justice, UN agencies illegitimate interference into the internal affairs of sovereign nations and other pressing international issues that concern national, regional and global peace and stability have been discussed.

The discussions within the Non-Aligned Movement reflect that one of the major concerns with respect to global peace, security, national sovereignty and national self-determination with respect to diversity and national coherence is a colossal United Nations System which increasingly becomes the instrument of corporate and imperialist interests.

The international community of sovereign nations lacks the ability to remedy the corruption of the UN which for some seems to be beyond the point where it would be safe to salvage it. It also lacks initiatives that work toward the establishment of alternative structures.

Both those who argue for salvaging the UN System and those who argue for the establishment of parallel or alternative systems will be looking forward to the final 680 point report of the NAM Summit with anticipation. The report will by many be scrutinized, analyzed and used as an indication for which nations and governments represent a potential for much needed change in international affairs. Others will analyze the report for indications about the potential for much needed anti-imperialist initiatives.

The ongoing irregular war that is being waged by the NATO, GCC, Jordanian, Israeli, Libyan coalition is eliciting the urgent need for a more active, proactive and confident Non-Aligned Movement. The war on Syria also elicits that the treaties of the Non-Aligned Movement are far from sufficient to protect any of its members from illegal aggression and imperialism.

Syria elicits that one of the greatest weaknesses of the Non-Aligned Movement is, that it is relying on a corrupted UN System. It has no structure for bilateral, multilateral or organization-wide protective instruments, no instruments to enforce justice when the UN Systems ICC fails, no economic solidarity when the UN system is abused to slam illegal sanctions on members, no mutual military guaranties when the UN System is abused to wage an illegal war against its members.

Syria elicits also that the NAM is far from coherent when its members are under attack. Rather than expressing unequivocal solidarity with Syria, the President of Egypt, Mursi, began slamming the government of Syria, interfering into its domestic affairs. Even that could have been constructive, was it not for the fact that Mursi insulted Syria by repeating standard NATO propaganda narratives rather than reflecting on the real and realistic challenges Syria faces with respect to national reconciliation, national security, anti-terrorism, the building of party infrastructures that will aid a transition to a more pluralistic society.

Mursi´s unbecoming and strongly biased slamming of the Syrian government, the fact that Syrian Foreign Minister Moallen walked out of the meeting in protest and did not return before Mursi has finished his speech, and the fact that the dispute was vividly debated afterwards could indicate that the Non-Aligned Movement is far from being sufficiently aligned with its principles.

A solution for Syria may well be found with the participation of members of the Non-Aligned Movement but it is doubtful that it can play the significant role it could play if it developed into a more coherent, proactive and UN-Independent Coalition.

Christof Lehmann

31.08.2012

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