Over 100 heads of states and governments present at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt) re-affirmed their commitment to peace, disarmament and security. The Summit’s theme was “International Solidarity for Peace and Development”. 

At the opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for disarmament among developing countries to contribute to world peace and development. “It is not only weapons of mass destruction that demand a concerted international response. Conventional arms continue to destabilise our world. Small arms and light weapons are overwhelmingly the weapon of choice in violent conflicts,” he said.

South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma, highlighted the link between peace and development. “We will never achieve peace and security if we do not combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons on our Continent.” He also stated that South Africa is committed to the goals of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.  

At a parallel event, the first ladies of NAM member states held their first summit to discuss the role of women in the field of crisis management. Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak praised the role of women as peace builders, “they have saved millions of lives through conflict resolution and conflict prevention strategies”. Ms Mubarak also urged NAM member states to enhance women’s participation in peace and security processes.