emerging nations like ours at independence”, but he added that it was no longer needed as “nations have grown up”.
Ahead of the meeting, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin hailed the “tradition of non-alignment”.
And, though most analysts remained sceptical, some observers said the growing economic strength of the participants showed evidence of renewed life in the movement.
“The conference feels like the non-aligned movement graduating to BRICS,” said Ernest Bower, a Southeast Asia expert at US think-tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, referring to the grouping of five leading emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
However the conference has also been marred by the absence of key figures.
Though India was a major player at the first meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not attending; while South African President Jacob Zuma cancelled due to a wave of xenophobic violence at home.
The main leaders’ summit is on Wednesday and Thursday in Jakarta.
Along with the African and Asian leaders, a handful of Middle Eastern countries are represented, including Iran by Rouhani.
And several controversial figures will attend, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Beyond the commemorations, Muslim-majority Indonesia will host a meeting of Islamic countries on the escalating Yemen conflict, as requested by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Iran, part of the 57-member OIC, is a key ally of the Huthi rebels who have seized swathes of Yemen but denies arming them, as Saudi Arabia leads an air campaign against them.
The conflict has sent tensions soaring between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran — the foremost Muslim powers in the Middle East, respectively.
Yemen and Saudi Arabia are not represented at the conference, although several other OIC members are.
Meanwhile Japan’s Abe, a strident nationalist, is due to give a speech at the summit, which will be watched closely ahead of a statement expected later this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The five-day conference includes a ministerial meeting on Monday and business summit on Tuesday. It ends on Friday, with leaders heading to Bandung to commemorate the original gathering.