29 May 2014: The 17th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) agreed to strengthen cooperation between NAM and the G-77/China, in the context of implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and shaping the post-2015 development agenda. The NAM summit, which took place in Algeria, adopted the Algiers Declaration.

The Declaration notes the complementarity of the G-77 and NAM groups in UN and other multilateral forums as the main economic and political platforms for developing countries. During the summit, the 20-year old NAM-G77 Joint Coordination Committee met at the ministerial level for the first time, and a special event took place on 30 May to mark the 50th anniversary of the G-77’s creation.

Foreign Minister of Algeria Ramtane Lamamra, as Chair of the NAM summit, emphasized the role of the NAM-G77 Joint Coordination Committee and called for a revival of multilateralism, including reform of the global economic and financial system. He proposed to convene a ministerial meeting of the Committee in New York, US, in September 2015, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Declaration and the 70th anniversary of the creation of the UN. Lamamra underscored that South-South cooperation can be a means of achieving national as well as international aims, noting that the G-77 had been instrumental in the creation of several multilateral arrangements, including the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Global System of Trade Preferences.

In a video message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the NAM summit takes place at “a critically important moment” of accelerating progress on the MDGs and shaping the post-2015 agenda. He highlighted the threat of climate change and reminded participants of the Climate Summit to take place in New York, US, on 23 September 2014. African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma urged Africans, as members of NAM, to work for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the democratization of the global governance system.

The NAM Summit took place from from 26-29 May 2014, under the theme ‘Enhanced Solidarity for Peace and Prosperity.’ The NAM summit takes place at ministerial level once every three years and is the organization’s main decision making body. [NAM Summit Website] [Lamamra Statement] [Ban Statement] [Meeting Programme] [Government of Algeria Press Release]