The convening of the fifth Non Aligned Movement Summit in Colombo saw Sirimavo Bandaranaike assume leadership of the eighty six-nation strong movement. Receiving the baton of leadership of NAM from Algerian President Houari Boumediène, Mrs Bandaranaike steered along a path of economic development with emphasis on collective economic self-reliance, aimed at reducing the gap between the developed and developing countries. The demand for a ‘New International Economic Order’ was made, asserting the aspirations of the developing world and in support of an expansion of trade. The 5th Summit that was held at the newly constructed Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, gifted by the Chinese government, was instrumental in positioning Sri Lanka at the centre of the developing world.