Non-Aligned Movement members are often divided by local and regional rivalries. The Non-Aligned Movement, NAM, was created in 1961 in Belgrade in the defunct Yugoslavia by some Third World leaders. The decision came at a time the world was divided into military blocs and opposing ideologies - with the United States and its NATO allies on one side, and the former Soviet Union and the eastern European socialist community on the other hand.

The Non-Aligned Movement aimed at steering clear of both blocs and their global rivalries and jealousies. It is basically a movement of the under-developed and developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, as contrasted with the affluent, developed nations of the West. The Non-Aligned Movement has grown steadily in force and influence. Its beginnings were modest, but today, 120 countries are members.

NAM was predicated on a geopolitical fact recognised particularly by the then Yugoslav President, Josip Broz Tito, Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ghanaian President, Kwame Nkrumah and Indonesian President, Sukarno.

There is no doubt that the movement has grown increasingly wider and more cogent, but its impact on world affairs has been handicapped for several reasons. The countries of the Third World are still divided among themselves by local and regional rivalries. Their own individual national interests have often clashed with the interests of the movement and they have failed to rise above such narrow and selfish considerations.

A case in point is the criticism of the Syrian regime of Hafez Al-Assad by Egypt’s President Mohamed Mursi at last week’s summit in Tehran, Iran. The verbal attack led to a walkout by the Syrian delegation. On the other hand, relations between founding members like Pakistan and India, have often been characterised by tension.

Perhaps, the declining clout of the grouping is attributable to the fact that its fire-brand founding leaders like Josip Broz Tito, Jawaharlal Nehru, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Kwame Nkrumah and Sukarno are no longer on the scene.

Often, their links, political, economic or military, with other countries of the world, have come in the way of an impartial and just non-aligned approach. There have been instances where the interests of such countries have been sacrificed to secure some momentary advantage over a regional rival. Besides, Third World countries are economically poor and backward as far as science and technology are concerned and have tended to depend on the developed world in these spheres.

With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, it has been argued that the Non-Aligned Movement lost its relevance. This might explain why it now focuses on ensuring better treatment in relations with rich northern countries.