The Like-Minded Countries and the New International Order: Past, Present and Future Prospects

Abstract

Dolman, A. J. The Like-Minded Countries and the New International Order: Past, Present and Future Prospects. Cooperation and Conflict, XIV, 1979, 57-85. The article seeks to analyse the origins, contents and possible future prospects of like-minded ness, i.e. the constructive and responsive attitude towards Third World demands for a New International Economic Order (NIEO) which has characterized the approach of the Nordic countries and the Netherlands. First, the historical origins of Nordic-Netherlands cooperation and of the like-minded group are traced; next the common characteristics of the group are inventorized with a view to explaining why the like-minded have generally been more constructive in their dealings with the developing countries than have most other industrialized countries. In the third section, the limitations on like-mindedness and the many problems being experienced by the like-minded countries in translating broad rhetorical support for the NIEO into practical policy are discussed. The article concludes with a discussion of the future possibilities for the like-minded countries to move to more positive action and to demonstrate the purity of their declared intentions. The article suggests that, if the existence of the group is to continue to make sense, it must seek to identify the areas in which it is able to formulate policy and in which its members have room for maneuver. Having identified these areas, the group should seek to initiate a meaningful dialogue with a group of interested developing countries.