Nuclear Politics and the Non-Aligned Movement

The Non-Aligned Movement is the largest grouping of states engaged on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues, comprising more than two-thirds of the membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Yet, the movement is often misunderstood by Western scholars and policymakers, who typically fail to appreciate the diversity of views among its 120 members and 17 observer states.

This Adelphi explores the structures and politics within NAM, and stresses the potential for greater engagement between NAM members and the West in mitigating many of the most pressing nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation and terrorism challenges. Its thorough examination of how NAM business is conducted, along with an analysis of how prominent members or groups of members have sought to dominate it for their own purposes, offers invaluable insight ahead of the 2015 NPT Review Conference and as NAM approaches a possible watershed moment in the movement’s history: the assumption by Iran of the chairmanship in mid-2012.

‘A unique and an exceptional source of accurate information and in-depth analysis of NAM’s 50-year struggle for a world free of nuclear weapons.’

Ambassador Mohamed I. Shaker, Chairman of the Board of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and President of the 1985 NPT Review Conference.

`Based on scholarly research and enriched by direct personal experience in NPT conferences, it reveals a depth of understanding rare in Western research. It should receive the careful attention of policymakers and commentators on the influential coalition of nations that comprise NAM.’

Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, President of the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference and former UN Undersecretary-General for Disarmament.

‘An indispensable guide to the labyrinthine politics of the NAM as it struggles to reconcile traditional collective positions with ever more diverse national interests. It makes a compelling plea for a better informed and more sophisticated understanding of what makes the movement tick, and why ... NAM will continue to matter in multilateral nuclear forums.’

Gareth Evans, Chancellor of the Australian National University and former Australian Foreign Minister.