The Bandung Principles are the ten-point "Declaration on the Promotion of World Peace and Cooperation" issued at the close of the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia, from 18–24 April 1955. The conference brought together 29 newly independent or soon-to-be-independent states from Asia and Africa, convened by the so-called Colombo Powers (Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon) and chaired by Indonesian Prime Minister Ali Sastroamidjojo.
The ten points expanded on the Panchsheel (Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence) earlier agreed between China's Zhou Enlai and India's Jawaharlal Nehru in 1954. In summary form, they commit signatories to:
- Respect for fundamental human rights and the UN Charter
- Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations
- Recognition of the equality of all races and nations, large and small
- Abstention from intervention in the internal affairs of other countries
- Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself, singly or collectively, in conformity with the UN Charter
- Abstention from the use of collective defense arrangements to serve the particular interests of any of the big powers, and from pressure on other countries
- Refraining from acts or threats of aggression against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country
- Settlement of international disputes by peaceful means
- Promotion of mutual interests and cooperation
- Respect for justice and international obligations
The Bandung Conference is widely regarded as the political precursor to the Non-Aligned Movement (formally founded at Belgrade in 1961) and to Afro-Asian solidarity institutions. Leading figures included Nehru, Zhou Enlai, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Sukarno of Indonesia, and Kwame Nkrumah's representative from the Gold Coast. The principles continue to be invoked in Global South diplomacy, including at the 2005 Asian-African Summit in Jakarta and Bandung, which produced the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership.
Example
At the 2005 Asian-African Summit marking Bandung's 50th anniversary, leaders including Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and China's Hu Jintao reaffirmed the Bandung Principles as the foundation for South-South cooperation.
Frequently asked questions
Twenty-nine Asian and African states participated in the conference from 18–24 April 1955, representing roughly half the world's population at the time.
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