In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: By the early 1980s the NIEO initiatives became more popular as they were assertively demanded by the LDCs.

Reason: The stiff opposition from the developed countries who acted as a united group was responsible for the fading of the initiatives of NIEO by the late 1980s.

The Assertion is incorrect but the Reason is correct.

Gradually, the nature of non-alignment changed to give greater importance to economic issues. In 1961, at the first summit in Belgrade, economic issues had not been very important. By the mid-1970s, they had become the most important issue. As a result, NAM became an economic pressure group. By the late 1980s, however, the NIEO initiative had faded, mainly because of the stiff opposition from the developed countries who acted as a united group while the non-aligned countries struggled to maintain their unity in the face of this opposition.