5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
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| 5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) Venue of the Summit | |
| Host country |  Sri Lanka |
| Date | 16–19 August 1976 |
| Cities | Colombo |
| Chair | Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Prime Minister of Sri Lanka) |
| Follows | 4th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (Algiers,  Algeria) |
| Precedes | 6th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (Havana,  Cuba) |
5th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement on 16–19 August 1976 in Colombo, Sri Lanka was the conference of Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned Movement.[1] 86 nations participated in the summit with additional 30 observers and guests representing all the continents in the world.[2] The summit was the biggest international conference ever held in Sri Lanka and one of the greatest achievements in its foreign policy.[3] The event took place at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, the first purpose-built conference hall in Asia.[4] It was the first leaders' summit of the movement to be organized in Asia.[4] The decisions of the NAM Coordination Bureau organisation and membership conditions were formally defined at the Colombo Summit.[5] The body was to have 25 members (12 from Africa, 8 from Asia, 4 from Latin America and 1 from Europe) and was expected to meet regularly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.[5]
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Sirimavo Bandaranaike prioritized economic issues in discussions motivated both by Sri Lanka's own economic interests and the creation of a more properly non-aligned venue, free of extreme anti-western rhetoric.[6] India, Sri Lanka, SFR Yugoslavia and Indonesia worked together at the conference to temper more radical proposals by some of the newer member states of the movement.[2] The conference nevertheless defined Zionism as a form of racism, a definition which was restated at future NAM events.[5]
The logo of the conference included references to five values: self-determination, economic development, peace and security, solidarity, and the denial of colonialism and imperialism.[7] The Government of Sri Lanka declared a public holiday to enable residents in the capital city to enter the streets and greet foreign guests.[7]
Sri Lanka selected senior career diplomats to handle the organization of the event with Dr. Vernon Mendis, High Commissioner in London, as the Secretary-General of the Summit and Leelananda de Silva as the Secretary to the Economic Committee of the Summit.[4] It was the first conference attended by Vietnam after the reunification of the country.[8]
The summit was publicly marked in various ways. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka released commemorative Rs. 5 coins and two post stamps of Rs 1.15 and Rs. 2, both carrying the portrait of Prime Minister Bandaranaike. The Ceylon Tobacco Company produced a special brand of cigarettes called ‘Summit’.[4] While the Delegation of Yugoslavia arrived to the city by plane, the country also sent the Yugoslav training ship Galeb to the Port of Colombo ahead of the event.[5] The ship served as a venue for bilateral and informal meetings with other participants, with first lady Jovanka Broz serving as a host.[5]
