If non-alignment is of permanent significance today, it is because it springs from the determination of the countries belonging to the movement to safeguard their independence and to make this independence real and meaningful through efforts aimed at social and economic development. The concept of non-alignment, therefore, proved effective not only against the dangers of military blocs and alliances and against the imperialist and colonialist domination of earlier decades, but also as a shield to safeguard national independence and ensure world peace.
The development of non-alignment over the preceding years has proved that it is by no means a passive, static or negative concept. On the contrary, the achievements of the non-aligned movement over these years have shown it to be responsive to the changing international situation.
Struggle Against Colonialism
The non-aligned movement has proved its vitality as an active force in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism in all their manifestations and against the problem of unequal relations between states caused by varying forms of neo-colonial foreign domination. One of the most relevant and immediate contributions of this movement has been its ability to strengthen the resistance to the politics of external pressure and domination.
Non-alignment, by upholding the right of all peoples and nations to pursue their own independent strategy for development, has imbued participating countries with the vigour and resolve to resist attempts at interference in their internal affairs, whether through the mass media or other political and economic agencies and institutions, with the aim of sowing seeds of confusion and chaos.
The importance of this aspect was unanimously recognized at the Colombo summit. In this context, the Colombo summit welcomed India's initiative in hosting the conference on the creation of a non-aligned news agencies pool, which, it is hoped, will herald a new international pattern in mass communication by reducing dependence on transnational news media and by "decolonization in the field of information". The non-aligned news agencies pool is an example of the results that can be achieved through co-operation and pooling of resources of all non-aligned countries.
Among the most meaningful achievements of non-alignment in the post-war era has been the impetus provided by the movement for the liberation of countries under the yoke of colonialism. At the U.N. and other international forums the non-aligned nations have been united in their demand for the withdrawal of colonial powers from territories occupied by them and it is a mark of the successes achieved by the movement in this field that the process of decolonisation has today reached its final and concluding stages.