President John Dramani Mahama has called on members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to strengthen coordination and turn the Movement’s long-standing principles into concrete actions capable of addressing emerging global challenges.
Speaking at the 65th Anniversary Conference of NAM in Belgrade, Serbia, President Mahama said the Movement must leverage its collective strength to influence global decisions and advance the interests of developing countries.
He said challenges including climate change, artificial intelligence, digital inequality and widening development gaps required a more coordinated response from NAM member states.
President Mahama argued that the Movement’s relevance should not be measured solely by its large membership but by its ability to translate its collective voice into effective diplomacy and tangible outcomes.
“We must strengthen consultation and coordination among member states, particularly within the United Nations and other multilateral institutions where our interests converge,” he said.
He urged members to improve follow-up on decisions taken at NAM summits and ministerial meetings, stressing the need to focus on strategic areas where the Movement could exert meaningful influence.
According to President Mahama, the international system also requires reforms to make multilateral institutions more representative and responsive to contemporary global realities.
He said the legitimacy of the international order depended largely on whether its institutions reflected the diversity of the global community and provided all countries with a meaningful voice in decision-making.
Ghana cites UN resolution as example
President Mahama cited Ghana’s recent diplomatic efforts at the United Nations as an example of what could be achieved through collective action.
He noted that on March 25, 2026, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/80/250, led by Ghana and strongly supported by the African Union, condemning the trafficking and enslavement of Africans and the racialised system of chattel enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity.
The resolution received 123 votes in favour, he said.
President Mahama expressed appreciation to fellow NAM members for their support, saying their solidarity demonstrated the strength of collective diplomatic action.
“Your solidarity affirmed the value of collective action and demonstrated what we can achieve when we come together in pursuit of justice and a shared sense of historical truth,” he said.
He cautioned that the credibility of the international system was increasingly tested whenever human suffering was met with silence, selectivity or indifference.
The President reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working with NAM members to strengthen multilateralism, promote a fairer international order and increase the influence of the Global South in global decision-making.
He also recalled the words of former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito at the inaugural NAM conference in Belgrade in 1961, when he argued that non-aligned countries could no longer remain mere observers in matters affecting global peace and security.
President Mahama said 65 years later, that principle remained relevant, particularly as developing countries confronted new and increasingly complex global challenges.
He urged members to renew the spirit that gave birth to the Movement and pursue greater cooperation in advancing peace, sovereignty and sustainable development.
“As we look to the future, our direction remains clear. Neither East nor West, but forward together,” President Mahama said.
He added that NAM must move beyond declarations and convert its collective strength into practical measures that improve the lives of its people.
