1973 Non-Aligned Standing Committee Conference
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| Non-Aligned Standing Committee Conference | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Kingdom of Afghanistan |
| Date | May 13, 1973-May 15, 1973 |
| Cities | Kabul |
| Chair | Mohammad Zahir Shah (King of Afghanistan) |
1973 Non-Aligned Movement Standing Committee Conference took place on 13–15 May 1973 in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan.[1] The country had participated in the work of the movement since the 1st Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade in 1961. Afghanistan perceived non-alignment as a guarantee of peace in independence in the context of the country sharing a long border with both the Soviet Union and CENTO member states.[2] The 1973 meeting was opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan Mohammad Musa Shafiq.[3] Whilst serving as the host country, Afghanistan decided to play a marginal role in the meeting, concerned about how a more prominent role may be perceived by major powers.[3]
Sri Lanka proposed Colombo as the host of the 5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was strongly supported by SFR Yugoslavia.[3] Panama joined the NAM as an observer, while Bangladesh, despite reservations by Pakistan, joined as a full member state.[3] Yugoslavia supported unofficial interest by Australia and North Korea to attend the next meeting with observer status.[3] India, Guyana and Yugoslavia played an active role in preparing the working materials for the following summit in Algeria.[3] Chile proposed discussion on measures against global corporate threats and measures to protect sovereign control over natural resources.[3] In July 1973, Afghanistan was faced with a coup d'état, after which the new authorities stated their intention to maintain country's non-aligned position.[4]
