The Bandung Conference was the first large-scale Asian–African Conference, attended by 29 countries that represented nearly one-quarter of the Earth's land surface and one-third of its population. Organized by Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon, the conference aimed to promote economic and cultural cooperation and to oppose colonialism or neocolonialism by any nation. This event was a crucial step toward the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement, as leaders like Sukarno, Nehru, and Nasser sought to find a 'Third Way' that avoided taking sides in the Cold War between the US and the USSR. The 'Ten Principles of Bandung' emphasized respect for sovereignty and human rights. It gave a collective voice to the newly independent nations of the Global South and challenged the bipolar world order dominated by the two superpowers.