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Tehran's Diplomatic Stage

An In-Depth Analysis of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 2012.

Summit Overview 👇 Key Participants 👥

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Summit Overview

Defining the Non-Aligned Movement

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum comprising 120 member states from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. Established during the Cold War, NAM sought to chart an independent course in international relations, distinct from the bipolar world order. As of August 2012, NAM represented nearly two-thirds of the United Nations' members and encompassed 55% of the global population.[10]

Post-Cold War Relevance

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, NAM has navigated the challenge of redefining its relevance in a multipolar world. The summit in Tehran aimed to address this evolving landscape, seeking new directions and reaffirming the movement's principles in contemporary global politics.[11]

Summit Context

The 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement convened in Tehran, Iran, from August 26 to 31, 2012. This gathering served as a critical platform for member states to discuss pressing international issues, foster cooperation, and articulate collective positions on global governance and security.

Summit Organization

Venue and Preparations

Initially planned for Kish Island, the summit was relocated to Tehran in 2010. Preparations involved extensive logistical arrangements, including the beautification of the city and enhanced security measures. A five-day public holiday was declared in Tehran to manage traffic and ensure the smooth execution of the event, with roads around the venue restricted to official vehicles.[15]

Meeting Structure

The summit followed a structured progression:

  • Senior Officials Meeting: August 26-27, 2012
  • Ministerial Meeting: August 28-29, 2012
  • Leaders' Summit: August 30-31, 2012
These stages allowed for detailed deliberation and consensus-building among member states.[6][8]

Iran's Presidency

During the summit's inaugural ceremony, Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi officially handed over the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran assumed the NAM presidency for a four-year term, culminating in the 17th summit in Venezuela in 2016.[9]

Key Participants

Delegation Overview

The summit saw significant representation from member states, observer countries, and invited nations. A comprehensive list of attendees highlights the broad participation and the diverse leadership present.

  • NAM members
  • Host country and leader are indicated in bold text
Member Represented by Title
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Afghanistan Hamid Karzai[22] President
Algeria Algeria Mourad Medelci[23] Foreign Minister
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov[24] Foreign Minister
Bahrain Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa[16] Foreign Minister
Bangladesh Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina[25] Prime Minister
Belarus Belarus Vladimir Makei[26] Foreign Minister
Benin Benin Yayi Boni[27] President
Bhutan Bhutan Jigme Thinley[28] Prime Minister
Bolivia Bolivia Álvaro García Linera[29] Vice President
Brunei Brunei Darussalam Pengiran Muda Mohamed Bolkiah Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Blaise Compaoré President
Cambodia Cambodia Hun Sen Prime Minister
Central African Republic Central African Republic François Bozizé[30] President
Chile Chile Alfredo Moreno Foreign Minister
Comoros Comoros Nourdine Bourhane Vice President
Cuba Cuba Jose Ramon Machado[31] Vice President
Djibouti Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh[30] President
Ecuador Ecuador Lenín Moreno[10] Vice President
Egypt Egypt Mohamed Morsi[22] President
Gabon Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba[27] President
Ghana Ghana Muhammad Mumuni[32] Foreign Minister[32]
Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo President
India India Manmohan Singh[34] Prime Minister
Iran Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (host) President
Iraq Iraq Nouri al-Maliki[16] Prime Minister
Indonesia Indonesia Boediono Vice President
Jordan Jordan Hassan bin Talal[33] Deputy Prime Minister
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kazykhanov Foreign Minister
Kuwait Kuwait Muhammad Sabah[35] Deputy Prime Minister
Lebanon Lebanon Michel Suleiman[22] President
Lesotho Lesotho Mohlabi Tsekoa[28] Foreign Minister
Libya Libya Ashour Bin Khayal[22] Foreign Minister
Malaysia Malaysia Anifah Aman[36] Foreign Minister
Mali Mali Tiéman Coulibaly Foreign Minister
Mauritania Mauritania Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz President
Mauritius Mauritius Arvin Boolell[32] Foreign Minister
Mongolia Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj[37] President
Morocco Morocco Abdelillah Benkirane Prime Minister
Mozambique Mozambique Arlete Matola Minister of the Presidential Office[32]
Myanmar Myanmar Wunna Maung Lwin Foreign Minister
Namibia Namibia Marco Hausiku[28] Foreign Minister
Nepal Nepal Baburam Bhattarai[38] Prime Minister
Nicaragua Nicaragua Samuel Santos López Foreign Minister
Nigeria Nigeria Namadi Sambo[39] Vice president
North Korea Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Kim Yong-nam[40][41] President
Oman Oman Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah[45] Foreign Minister
Pakistan Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari[42] President
Palestine Palestine Mahmoud Abbas[43] President
Philippines Philippines Jejomar Binay[44] Vice President
Qatar Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani[46] Emir
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Saud Deputy Foreign Minister
Senegal Senegal Macky Sall President
Singapore Singapore Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam[32] Foreign Minister
South Africa South Africa Maite Nkoana-Mashabane[22] Foreign Minister
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa[47] President
Sudan Sudan Omar al-Bashir[22] President
Eswatini Swaziland Lutfo Dlamini[28] Foreign Minister
Syria Syria Wael Nader al-Halqi[48] Prime Minister
Tanzania Tanzania Mohamed Gharib Bilal[27] Vice President
Thailand Thailand Surapong Tovichakchaikul[49] Foreign Minister
Tunisia Tunisia Rafik Abdessalem[22] Foreign Minister
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow[50] President
Uganda Uganda Yoweri Museveni[51] President
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla[52] Vice President
Venezuela Venezuela Elías Jaua[22] Vice President
Vietnam Vietnam Nguyen Tan Dung Prime Minister
Zambia Zambia Guy Scott Vice President
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe[22] President
Observers
Nation Represented by Title
Armenia Armenia Eduard Nalbandyan Foreign Minister
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Željko Jerkić Ambassador and Department Head (Foreign Ministry)
Brazil Brazil Michel Temer Vice President
China China Zhang Zhijun Deputy Foreign Minister
Croatia Croatia Budimir Lončar Advisor to the President
Montenegro Montenegro Zoran Janković General Director (Foreign Ministry)
Serbia Serbia Ivan Mrkić[54] Foreign Minister
Tajikistan Tajikistan Emomali Rahmonov[16] President
Invited nations (Guests)
Nation Represented by Title
Australia Australia Gary Quinlan[55] U.N. Ambassador of Australia
El Salvador El Salvador Felix Ulloa Vice President
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov Governor of the Osh region
Mexico Mexico
Russia Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak Deputy Prime Minister
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Mohamed Yeslem Beisat[56][57] Ambassador
South Korea South Korea
Switzerland Switzerland Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart[58] Director of the Middle East (Federal administration)
Turkey Turkey Cevdet Yılmaz[59] Development Minister
Uruguay Uruguay Tabare Vazquez Vice President
Observer organisations
Organization Represented by Title
African Union Yayi Boni[27] Chairperson
Arab League Arab League Nabil el-Araby[60] Secretary General
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation OIC Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu[61] Secretary General
United Nations United Nations Ban Ki-moon[62] Secretary-General
United Nations General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser President
Group of 77 Mourad Benmehidi[63] Chairman

Summit Agenda

Peace and Disarmament

A central focus of the summit was the pursuit of lasting peace and global security. Key agenda items included:

  • Advocacy for nuclear disarmament and the establishment of a Middle East Free from Nuclear Weapons.
  • Condemnation of unilateral sanctions and promotion of collective management in international politics.
  • Support for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, as outlined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The summit also addressed the Syrian crisis, aiming to draft a peace resolution.[7]

Human Rights and Global Governance

The summit deliberated on critical issues related to human rights and the reform of international institutions:

  • Emphasis on human rights free from political agendas, and opposition to racism and Islamophobia.
  • Calls for reform of the UN Security Council, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, advocating for more equitable and democratic global governance structures.[95]
  • Support for the creation of a Palestinian state and opposition to Israel's actions against Palestinians.

Pre-Summit Reactions

UN Secretary-General's Position

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's attendance was a focal point. While intending to convey international expectations regarding Iran's nuclear program, human rights, and the Syrian crisis, his presence was met with opposition from the United States and Israel, who viewed it as conferring legitimacy upon Iran.[114][115]

Diplomatic Statements

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad commented that NAM states should not follow unilateral US sanctions against Iran.[63] An Iranian official suggested the summit was an opportunity to counter sanctions and render them ineffective.[64]

Summit Controversies

Ban Ki-moon's Criticisms

During the summit, Ban Ki-moon strongly criticized Iran's stance on Israel, denouncing threats of destruction and Holocaust denial as undermining fundamental principles. He also urged Iran to cooperate with the IAEA and comply with UN Security Council resolutions regarding its nuclear program.[82][84] Iranian opposition groups encouraged Ban to address the government's human rights record.[105]

Syrian Civil War Debate

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's condemnation of the Syrian government as "oppressive" and his call for support of the Syrian revolt led to a walkout by the Syrian Foreign Minister. This incident highlighted the divisions among NAM members regarding the Syrian conflict.[89]

Media Distortions

Iranian state media faced criticism for allegedly distorting President Morsi's speech, particularly concerning Syria, and for altering translations of remarks by Ban Ki-moon and the UN General Assembly President. These actions were seen as attempts to manipulate public opinion and align narratives with the Iranian government's agenda.[123][124]

Bilateral Engagements

Key Diplomatic Meetings

The summit provided a venue for numerous bilateral meetings, facilitating discussions on regional and international issues:

  • Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.[42]
  • UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon engaged in discussions with Iranian leaders concerning the nuclear program, terrorism, human rights, and the Syrian crisis.[99]
  • India, Iran, and Afghanistan agreed to establish a joint working group to discuss the development of the Chabahar port.[100]

Related Information

Further Context

For related international discussions and diplomatic activities during the same period, consult the proceedings of the Sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly.

UN General Assembly Session ➡️

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References

References

  1.  Grant, Cedric. "Equity in Third World Relations: A Third World Perspective". International Affairs 71, 3 (1995), 567–587.
  2.  Algerian Parliament Speaker Entered Tehran
  3.  Elmar Mammadyarov to represent Azerbaijan in NAM Tehran Summit
  4.  UAE sends ruler of Umm al-Qaiwain to NAM summit in Tehran
  5.  Ù†Ø¨ÛŒÙ„ العربی وارد تهران شد
  6.  â€œIran urges non-aligned nations role in Syria”, "Al Jazeera", 1 September 2012
  7.  â€œRemarks to the High-Level Segment of the 16th Non-Aligned Movement Summit”, "UN News Centre", 30 August 2012
  8.  â€œHarsh attack on Iran by UN Secretary General”, "Egypt Daily News", 2012
  9.  (Xinhua)
  10.  Iran uses summit to reset its image
A full list of references for this article are available at the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement Wikipedia page

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