President John Dramani Mahama has called on members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to strengthen their collective voice and translate the movement’s founding principles into coordinated diplomatic action to address the major political, economic and humanitarian challenges confronting the world.
Speaking at the 65th anniversary summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia, President Mahama said the movement remains highly relevant in an increasingly fragmented and multipolar international system.
He said NAM must preserve its strategic autonomy and resist pressure from competing geopolitical power blocs while serving as an independent collective voice for peace, dialogue, disarmament, development and justice.
President Mahama recalled Ghana’s historic role in the establishment of the movement, noting that Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was among the foremost leaders who gave political expression to the Non-Aligned Movement at the historic Belgrade Conference in 1961.
He said Dr. Nkrumah’s vision was anchored in the belief that newly independent nations must have the freedom to determine their own political and economic destiny, maintain constructive relations with all countries and exercise independent judgment on international affairs.
Quoting Dr. Nkrumah’s famous declaration, President Mahama said: “We neither face east or west, we face forward.”
He explained that the statement captured Ghana’s determination not to be drawn into the geopolitical rivalry between the Western and Soviet blocs during the Cold War.
According to President Mahama, the principle of non-alignment should not be interpreted as passive neutrality but as a policy of positive, principled and active engagement.
He stressed that NAM must neither become a silent spectator to global developments nor an instrument of competing geopolitical interests.
Rather, he said, the movement must use its collective strength to influence the international system and promote a more representative, balanced and equitable global order.
NAM Must Move Beyond Declarations
President Mahama urged member states to move beyond declarations and focus on practical outcomes.
He called for stronger consultation and coordination among NAM members, particularly within the United Nations and other multilateral institutions where their interests converge.
“The movement’s strength should be measured not only by our numbers, but by our ability to translate its collective weight into coordinated diplomacy and practical outcomes,” he said.
He also called for stronger follow-up to decisions taken at NAM summits and ministerial conferences, with the movement focusing on strategic priorities where it can make a meaningful impact.
He argued that the legitimacy of the international system depends significantly on whether its institutions reflect the diversity of the global community and provide all states with a meaningful voice in decision-making.
Ghana’s Diplomatic Achievement
President Mahama cited Ghana’s recent diplomatic experience as evidence of what developing countries can achieve when they act collectively.
He referred to the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly on March 25, 2026, of Resolution A/RES/80/250, led by Ghana and strongly supported by the African Union, condemning the trafficking of enslaved Africans and the racialised system of chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution received 123 votes in favour.
President Mahama expressed Ghana’s appreciation to members of NAM for their support, describing the solidarity as evidence of the value of collective action in advancing justice and historical truth.
Mahama Raises Sudan and Gaza
The President also used the occasion to draw attention to the humanitarian crises in Sudan and Gaza.
He said the international community had too often appeared to turn its back on the people of Sudan, where millions have been displaced and civilians continue to face hunger and grave violations.
He called for sustained international political attention, humanitarian assistance and a stronger commitment to achieving peace in Sudan.
On Gaza, President Mahama described the humanitarian situation as catastrophic, highlighting severe restrictions on humanitarian access and shortages of food, water, healthcare and electricity.
He called for the protection of civilians and full and unhindered humanitarian access, while rejecting what he described as the selective application of the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Ghana Renews Call for End to Cuba Embargo
President Mahama also reiterated Ghana’s opposition to the longstanding economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.
He argued that unilateral coercive measures that undermine sovereign equality and the principle of non-interference weaken the multilateral system that countries have collectively committed to defending.
Economic Independence and Resource Sovereignty
The President further stressed that political independence must be accompanied by economic capacity.
He called for resource sovereignty to become a central component of the development agenda of countries in the Global South.
He criticised a global economic structure in which developing countries continue to export raw materials and import finished products while bearing significant environmental and social costs associated with resource extraction.
According to him, strengthening economic cooperation among developing countries is essential to achieving genuine independence and sustainable development.
Climate Change and Emerging Challenges
President Mahama also urged NAM countries to strengthen their collective response to climate change.
He pointed to wildfires, droughts, desertification, floods and melting glaciers as evidence of the growing effects of climate change and global warming.
He called for a united voice on climate advocacy and action, stressing that NAM must also remain relevant in addressing emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence, digital inequality, widening development gaps, finance, trade, debt and technology.
“Neither East nor West, but Forward Together”
Concluding his address, President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with members of the Non-Aligned Movement to strengthen multilateralism and advance a fairer international order in which the voice of the Global South carries greater weight.
He said the movement must renew the spirit of its historic Belgrade founding while adapting its principles to the realities of the contemporary world.
“Neither East nor West, but forward together,” President Mahama declared, urging NAM members to act with principle, purpose and confidence in translating their collective strength into practical benefits for their peoples.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
