Between 13 May and 15 May 1973, the city of Kabul hosted the Standing Committee Conference of the Non‑Aligned Movement. Afghanistan, under King Mohammad Zahir Shah, sought to position itself as a non-aligned nation between the superpowers during the Cold War. The event brought together representatives of many non-aligned states, emphasising peace, neutrality and the rights of newly independent countries. Although Afghanistan played a marginal role in the movement, hosting the conference underlined its desire to maintain independent foreign policy between the U.S. and Soviet spheres. The conference also raised the profile of Afghanistan in international diplomacy for a brief moment.
