SHARM EL-SHEIKH: The 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit opened here Wednesday to seek more solidarity among developing countries to tackle major international and regional issues including the ongoing world financial crisis.Cuban President Raul Castro, who was chairperson of the 14th NAM summit, declared the opening of the 15th summit, held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for two days.
During his speech, Castro said NAM has the conviction that all countries in the world should search for effective and justified measures to tackle the current financial crisis.
"The current crisis originated from rich countries due to their unbalanced and partial international economic system. We call for the renewal of the international financial system, based on the real participation of developing nations," he said.
After the speech, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was elected by acclamation as chairperson of the 15th NAM Summit.
Mubarak appealed for the construction of a new international political, economic and trade system, which is more balanced and equitable.
He said this summit is a good opportunity for dialogue and NAM members should make use of this summit to boost solidarity.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "It is abundantly clear that no country -- regardless of size or resources -- can solve problems alone. That raises the stakes and the space for the Non-Aligned Movement to shape a better world."
"The NAM's long-standing commitment to development and social justice also resonates today as the world faces a severe economic and financial crisis," he said.
"We must counter this trend. Truly free and fair trade is crucial to stimulating recovery and spurring growth," he added.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Dominican President Leonel Fernandez and Belarussian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov delivered speeches respectively on behalf of the Group of77 and China, the African region, the Asian region, the Latin American and the Caribbean region, and the European region.
At the two-day summit, leaders of more than 100 NAM member countries or their representatives focus their debate on the summit theme of International Solidarity for Peace and Development.
They are discussing hotspot topics such as the global financial crisis, climate change, the Mideast peace process, food security, energy and nuclear issues.
The leaders are also scheduled to sign the summit's Final Document and a Sharm el-Sheikh Declaration, and approve the movement's strategy and action plan for the future three years.
Gaddafi called for the reforms of the United Nations, which he said it should better represent developing countries' interests.
He said the United Nations currently has not functioned for the interests of developing countries very well. Africa and South America should respectively have a standing seat in the UN Security Council, he said off the cuff.
Arroyo proposed five key areas where she said NAM can take the lead in forging international solidarity for peace and development.
The areas included the global economic crisis, climate change, interfaith dialogue, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and the welfare and development of migrant workers.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said NAM has a great stake in ensuring that steps planned to revive the global economy take into account the concerns of the developing countries.
"No Non-Aligned Summit has ever been in an economic and financial crisis of the magnitude that now grips the world," Singh said.
"This crisis, the worst in living memory, emanated from the advanced industrial economies, but the developing economies, the members of our Movement, have been the hardest hit," he said.
If the aftermath of the crisis is not carefully managed, and if the abundance of liquidity leads to a revival of speculative activities, the world may well see a period of prolonged stagflation, he added.
"The relevance of NAM has, hence, never been greater than today. Cooperation, trade and investment among our countries can contribute significantly to reviving world economy," he added.
Founded in September 1961, NAM now groups 118 member states, 16observer countries and nine observer organizations.
The Movement, which includes nearly two-thirds of UN member countries and comprises 55 percent of the world population, focuses on striving for the interests of developing countries all over the world.
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