How many countries belong to the Non-Aligned Movement?
121 countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement, representing nearly two-thirds of all United Nations members and about 55 percent of the world's population.
Short answers, pulled from the story.
121 countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement, representing nearly two-thirds of all United Nations members and about 55 percent of the world's population.
The movement was formally established in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1961, at the first Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries. Its organizational roots trace to the Declaration of Brijuni, signed on the 19th of July 1956.
The founding initiative was led by five leaders: Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah, and Indonesian president Sukarno.
The ten Bandung principles from 1955 include respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, non-aggression, equality of all nations and races, peaceful settlement of disputes, and promotion of mutual cooperation.
After chairing the 1979 Havana summit, Cuba voted against the UN resolution condemning the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979, siding with the USSR. This undercut its claim to true non-alignment and cost it the movement's leadership and credibility.
Since the Cold War ended in 1991, the movement has focused on multilateralism, unity among Global South nations, UN Security Council reform, sustainable development, opposition to foreign occupation, and the socio-economic challenges of globalization and neo-liberal policies.