The policymaker in the developing state is faced with an array of problems often unfamiliar to his or her counterpart in the developed states, and the security equation must reflect these differences. The Third World state is usually far more insecure domestically than the developed state. The essential nature of the Third World is often contested. The process of forging loyalty to the state may be at an early stage. Indeed, the survival of the state itself may be threatened by secessionist or irredentist forces. Sometimes the type of political system adopted by the new state may not serve well the requirements of state-building which are vital if development and social transformation are to take place. The problem of meeting basic human needs is overwhelming and the inability effectively to address this intensifies domestic instability and thus plays a crucial role in the security question. These problems of internal insecurity for Third World states make the problem of their external insecurity all the greater, and vice versa.

Externally, the insecurity of Third World states is characterized by their almost total lack of control over the environment, and this undermines any hope of expression of sovereign autonomy. The overarching geopolitical structure of the East–West divide places massive constraints on independent action by Third World governments, and has vastly limited both the possibility and the recognition of indigenous developments and choices. Non-alignment is a privileged policy which few Third World states can materially afford.