In the "spirit of Bandung", Asia and Africa to boost global south cooperation
Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The leaders of Asia and Africa are meeting in Bandung, the capital of West Java province, Indonesia, to mark 60 years since the historic conference that laid the foundation for the Non-Aligned Movement that emerged during the Cold War.
The summit is scheduled to take place between 19 and 24 April in West Java with delegates from 109 Asian and African nations, plus 16 observer states, and 25 international organisations.
At least 29 heads of state and government are expected, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and several African leaders.
High-level meetings will follow throughout the week with the aim of ‘Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Promote World Peace and Prosperity’.
Organisers hope to revive the "spirit of Bandung" that inspired the 1955 conference, in today’s context of rapid change, when old-time imperialism and colonialism have been (at least partially) overcome.
However, for some analysts and international experts, great power rivalry is likely to overshadow good intentions and plans for political and economic cooperation.
Meant to strengthen the bridge between Asia and Africa, promote partnerships and sharing of experiences in terms of economic development, the summit is also an opportunity to discuss the main problems, overcome common challenges, and boost cooperation among the nations of the global South.
The commemoration should also breathe new life into the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP), which is tasked with addressing the major challenges of the third millennium, such as poverty and underdevelopment in the two continents.
The NAASP is also designed to boost multilateralism, set targets for economic growth, as well as promote peace, security, and sustainable development worldwide.
However, some analysts note that many of the states at the summit, like China and Japan, are at loggerheads. What is more, the big powers are trying to incorporate other participating states into their sphere of influence.
Beijing, in particular, has been aggressive in its pursuit of natural resources and energy in Africa to sustain its economic growth.
For this reason, the five-day meeting will not likely reach a real agreement or find any consensus among the various participants.
Held in 1955, the first conference saw the participation of about 30 nations, many of them recently independent. The leading figures were Indonesian President Sukarno, Indian Prime Minister Nehru and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. Egyptian President Nasser was the Arab world’s dominant figure.
The 1955 conference marked the emergence of the Developing World and the Non-Aligned Movement, based on the principle of neutrality vis-à-vis the superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union
In its final declaration, participants agreed to a ten-point statement, proclaiming the equality of nations, support for anti-colonialist movements, the rejection of military alliances based on superpower hegemony, and support for international political cooperation among member states.
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30/08/2012
