The Non-Aligned Movement: Founding a Third Way in the Cold War

In September 1961, twenty-five new nations met in Belgrade and refused to pick a side in the Cold War. That refusal became the Non-Aligned Movement. It still exists today. This page covers how it began, who founded it, and why it kept growing.

Think of three questions as you read. How was NAM founded? Who were the five founders, and what is the Brioni trap? And why did NAM keep growing after the Cold War?

1How was the Non-Aligned Movement founded?

The Cold War was splitting the world into two armed camps. Many new nations did not want to join either one. They wanted to keep their own voice.

In September 1961, twenty-five countries met in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The summit ran from 1 to 6 September. Tito of Yugoslavia hosted and chaired it. (Source: NAM Uganda)

The meeting condemned colonialism, apartheid and neo-colonialism. Out of it, the Non-Aligned Movement was born.

• Place: Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
• Dates: 1–6 September 1961.
• Attended by 25 countries.
• Chair and host: Josip Broz Tito.

2Who were the five founding leaders?

Five leaders are called the “Initiative of Five.” They were Jawaharlal Nehru of India and Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia. The others were Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Sukarno of Indonesia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. (Source: NAM Uganda)

India is a founding member. It has stayed in NAM since 1961.

The core idea was simple. Do not formally join the Western bloc or the Soviet bloc. NAM has no charter and no permanent secretariat. The chair passes to each summit’s host country.

• The five: Nehru, Tito, Nasser, Sukarno, Nkrumah.
• Idea: stay out of both blocs.
• No charter, no secretariat.

3What is the Brioni trap?

Before Belgrade came two earlier steps. The Bandung Conference of 1955 brought Asian and African states together. It was a precursor, not NAM itself.

Then, on 19 July 1956, Tito, Nasser and Nehru signed the Brioni Declaration. Many students think this founded NAM. It did not. It was a precursor meeting, five years before Belgrade.

The word “non-alignment” was also used at the UN earlier, by India and Yugoslavia in 1950.

• Bandung: 1955. Brioni: 1956. Belgrade: 1961.
• Bandung to Belgrade: 6 years.
• Brioni was not the founding.

4Why did NAM keep growing after the Cold War?

NAM began with 25 members. Today it has about 120. That is more than four times its starting size.

The Cold War ended in 1991. Yet NAM did not fade away. Developing countries still use it to speak together on world issues.

NAM is separate from the Group of 77, but the two are closely linked. The G77 is a bloc of developing nations that works on economic issues at the UN. NAM’s summit is its highest body and meets roughly every three years.

• Members: 25 in 1961, about 120 now.
• Highest body: the summit, about every three years.
• Linked to the G77, but separate.

5What has NAM done lately?

The 19th NAM Summit was held in Kampala, Uganda, on 19–20 January 2024. Its theme was “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.” Uganda took over as chair until 2027. (Source: NAM Uganda)

The Kampala Declaration condemned Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and called for a ceasefire.

NAM held its mid-term ministerial meeting in Kampala on 15–16 October 2025. India sent Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh. India reaffirmed that it is a founding member. (Source: DD News)

In January 2026, NAM protested a US attack on Venezuela at the UN Security Council. It called the attack a breach of the UN Charter. (Source: Xinhua)

On 1 September 2026, leaders and diplomats met in Belgrade for the 65th anniversary of the first conference. (Source: Xinhua)

• 19th summit: Kampala, January 2024.
• Chair: Uganda, till 2027.
• 65th anniversary: Belgrade, 1 Sep 2026.

6What are the exam traps?

• Founded: Belgrade, 1961, not Bandung or Brioni.
• Fifth founder: Nkrumah. Castro is not one.
• No charter or secretariat.
• Chair now: Uganda (Kampala, 2024).