In 2019, with the unanimous decision of the member states of the Azerbaijan Non-Aligned Movement, the organization gained a voice in the political arena since the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement for 2019-2022 began. The contribution of our country to this organization was considered  and at the initiative of the member states, the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement of Azerbaijan was extended until 2023. We can say with certainty that the Non-Aligned Movement has entered a new stage under the leadership of Azerbaijan. Since 2019, president  Ilham  Aliyev has taken important initiatives as the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement  and these initiatives were supported by the international community.

On March 2 of this year, the Summit meeting of the Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement on the fight against COVID-19 was held in Baku. The Summit, which was held with the participation of the heads of state and government of about 70 countries, as well as high-level representatives of various countries, once again confirmed that the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement brought a number of political and diplomatic advantages to Azerbaijan  and at the same time, a great revival in the activities of the organization took place during this period. Leading such a prestigious institution, trying to unite all countries in the fight against the pandemic, which has caused severe consequences in the countries of the world, is an indicator of the humanistic and far-sighted policy of the President of Azerbaijan. President  Ilham  Aliyev touched on many important points in his speech at the Summit. When we pay attention to the chronology of the steps taken during the presidency of Azerbaijan, which has entered its fourth year, it is impossible not to see that the main goal is to strengthen the influence of the Non-Aligned Movement, its place and position in world politics. That is why president Ilham Aliyev raised the issue of the importance of reforms in the UN system. Humanity is now witnessing the most serious East-West conflict since the end of the Cold War, the repercussions of which are being felt throughout the rest of the world. The Non-Aligned Movement - as the second largest international establishment after the UN  should play a more effective role in the international arena  and actively participate in the formation  of the new world order.

Azerbaijan"s active propaganda as the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement is highly appreciated by the world community. Despite the fact that the chairmanship of Azerbaijan coincided with the period of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our country adapted the chairmanship agenda to the new realities operatively. Of course, the initiative, determination, and political will of the Azerbaijani state and president Ilham Aliyev also played an important role in this process.

At a time when most of the world"s countries  faced the unprecedented consequences of the pandemic, in this case Azerbaijan took on the role of global leadership and became one of the first countries to promote international solidarity and cooperation to overcome the global problem. Thus, it was the Non-Aligned Movement chaired by Azerbaijan that mobilized the world community to fight the pandemic. An online Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement dedicated to the fight against COVID-19 was held in May 2020 on the initiative of the president, chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement Ilham Aliyev.

At this summit, President Ilham Aliyev proposed holding a special session of the UN General Assembly dedicated to the fight against the pandemic. This proposal was supported by the world community and a special session was successfully held in December 2020. This special session was considered the most global event in the fight against the pandemic. At the same time, as the chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, our country successfully fought against "vaccination nationalism". At the initiative of Azerbaijan, resolutions on the fair distribution of vaccines were adopted both in the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council.

President Ilham Aliyev once again gave messages of peace to the world in his speech at the Summit. Countries pursuing imperialist and colonial policies should abandon this policy: "The Non-Aligned Movement has always strongly supported the sovereignty of the Gambian Islands Union over the island of Mayotte, which continues to remain under French colonial rule. As reflected in the founding documents of the Non-Aligned Movement, we call on the French government to respect the rights of the people of New Caledonia and other peoples in the French overseas communities and territories. The territories that France controls outside of Europe are the hideous remnants of the French colonial empire. We also call on France to apologize and acknowledge its responsibility for its colonial past, bloody colonial crimes, as well as acts of genocide against the countries that are members of the Non-Aligned Movement in Africa, Southeast Asia and other territories."

Thus, the head of the state, who is a deep connoisseur of international politics, once again brought up issues of concern to the world with diplomatic skill. It was stated that in order to eliminate unpleasant situations, international organizations must improve their activities, and world states must increase their responsibilities. We should note  that our country"s effective chairmanship of this organization and the establishment of an effective cooperation network once again prove that Azerbaijan is an important and reliable partner.