Since its inception in 1961, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has been waging a relentless battle to ensure that the people who were oppressed by foreign occupation and domination can exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela joins such noble cause. Its history has proved it, through its libertarian and independence vocation since the nineteenth century.
Venezuela participated as an observer country at the 2nd NAM Summit held in Cairo, Egypt, in 1964. Since then, it regularly attended all conferences until it became a member at the 9th Summit held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1989.
Venezuela supports and actively promotes the principles of non-alignment, convinced on the need to reverse the negative trends affecting peace, security and the economic and social development of peoples. Venezuela believes that multilateralism, driven by NAM, is important to foster the international dialogue and cooperation, in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, with a vision for the creation of a multipolar system, based on the unconditional respect for the rules and principles of international law.
International relations of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in accordance with its Constitution, serve the ends of the State upon the exercise of sovereignty and the interests of the people, governed by principles of independence, equality between States, self-determination and the non-intervention in the internal affairs, peaceful settlement of international disputes and international cooperation.
Ideologically, NAM has demonstrated its ability to adapt to changes in the international environment, adapting the principles of Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War for poverty alleviation, economic development and nuclear disarmament in the twenty-first century. However, some initiatives, such as the reform of the UN Security Council and the fight against the counterfeiting of neoliberal policies, have been unsuccessful since they have not achieved the necessary changes so far.
The Bolivarian Revolution, initiated and led by Commander Hugo Chavez Frias and, currently, with the continuity of President Nicolas Maduro Moros, is an important component of social development through government policies of attention and inclusion, and that aspect, among others, has been defended within the meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement and also in other international bodies.
With the basis of guaranteeing the economic, social and cultural rights in our country, guaranteed in Venezuela’s Constitution, policies targeted against the most vulnerable groups in all major documents about social policy are rejected, on the contrary, we postulate the need for social and universal policies which tend to work on behalf of social equity in order to overcome political inequalities and cultural exclusions. This has been one of the great contributions of the Bolivarian government in international and multilateral fora and agencies.
Additionally, Venezuela currently represents the Troika of the Non-Aligned Movement, together with Iran and Egypt, when at the 16th Summit of Heads of State and Government (Tehran), 30 and August 31, 2013, Venezuelan accepted to welcome the offer of holding the 17th Summit of NAM heads of state. This instance (Troika) has a consultative status, since the core of the decision-making of the Movement lies within the Member States.
Speech by President Hugo Chavez in the 14th NAM Summit in Havana, Cuba, September 15, 2006
- Venezuela held the Seventh Conference of Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Movement (Cominac)The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was the organizer and host of the 7th Conference of Ministers of Information of the Non-Aligned Movement (Cominac) held in Margarita Island, Nueva Esparta state, from the 2nd to the 4th of July, 2008.This meeting had as its central subject of debate, the theme “Challenges and Proposals for the Objective Dissemination of the voice of the South to the current trends in the field of information and communications.”Due to existing imbalances and exclusions generated by the so-called neoliberal globalization process intended to be imposed from the great centers of political and global financial power, the theme of objective dissemination of the voice of the South is a high priority for developing countries; hence its importance in the discussion of this 7th Conference held in Venezuelan territory.
This Conference gave an opportunity to bolster initiatives promoted by countries of the South (including the Network of News Agencies of the Non-Aligned Movement, based in Kuala Lumpur, and Telesur, whose headquarter is in Caracas), seeking greater democratization in information and communications management.
In 1976, the Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Movement met for the first time in New Delhi and developed a draft Charter of Pool with a view to achieving the full and free news and reports circulation including the dissemination of real and objective information on non-aligned countries to the rest of world.
One of its key objectives was promoting the New International Order of Information and Communications, supported at that time by Unesco, the United Nations and other international organizations, in order to break the siege and the hegemony of big media corporations serving world powers.
Until the VII Cominac held on the island of Margarita, seven (7) Conferences of Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Countries had been previously held, namely:
- Cominac New Delhi, India (1976)
- I Cominac Jakarta, Indonesia (1984)
- II Cominac Harare, Zimbabwe (1987)
- III Cominac Havana, Cuba (1990)
- IV Cominac Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (1993)
- V Cominac Abuja, Nigeria (1996)
- VI Cominac Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2005)
COMINAC Nueva Delhi, India (1976)
- Me Cominac Jakarta, Indonesia (1984)
- II Cominac Harare, Zimbabwe (1987)
- III Cominac La Habana, Cuba (1990)
- IV Cominac Pyongyang, República Popular Democrática de Corea (1993)
- V Cominac Abuja, Nigeria (1996)
- VI Cominac Kuala Lumpur, Malasia (2005)
Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999)
Article 152: The international relations of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela serve the ends of the State upon the exercise of sovereignty and the interests of the people, these are governed by principles of independence, equality between States, self-determination and nonintervention in the internal affairs, peaceful settlement of international disputes and international cooperation, respect for human rights, solidarity between peoples in the battle for emancipation and the welfare of humanity. The Republic will firmly and decidedly defend these principles and democratic practice in all international bodies and agencies.
