Dictionary:
Arab League
(Abbr. AL)
An association of Arab states established in 1945 to promote cooperation among member nations in matters relating to economic and social development and foreign policy.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
Arab League
For more information on Arab League, visit Britannica.com.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
Arab League,
popular name for the League of Arab States, formed in 1945 in an attempt to give political expression to the Arab nations. The original charter members were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Transjordan (now Jordan), Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. A representative of Palestinian Arabs, although he did not sign the charter because he represented no recognized government, was given full status and a vote in the Arab League. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was granted full membership in 1976. Other current members include Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea (pending in 1999), Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The league is organized into a council, special committees, and a permanent secretariat; the secretariat has its headquarters in Cairo. The constitution of the league provides for coordination among the signatory nations on education, finance, law, trade, and foreign policy, and it forbids the use of force to settle disputes among members. A joint defense treaty was signed in 1950. In 2005 an Arab Parliament was established; its members are drawn from each member nation's parliament. The issues the parliament may discuss, however, are restricted to the social, economic, and cultural spheres.
Among the most important activities of the Arab League have been its attempts to coordinate Arab economic life; efforts toward this aim include the Arab Telecommunications Union (1953), the Arab Postal Union (1954), and the Arab Development Bank (1959, later known as the Arab Financial Organization). The Arab Common Market was established in 1965 and is open to all Arab League members. The common market agreement provides for the eventual abolition of customs duties on natural resources and agricultural products, free movement of capital and labor among member countries, and coordination of economic development.
In 1945, the league supported Syria and Lebanon in their disputes with France and also demanded an independent Libya; in 1961, it supported Tunisia in a conflict with France. The league early announced opposition to the formation of a Jewish state in Palestine and demanded that Palestine as a whole be made independent, with the majority of its population Arab. When the state of Israel was created in 1948, the league countries jointly attacked it, but Israel resisted successfully. The league continued to maintain a boycott of Israel and of companies trading with Israel. The summit conferences of 1964–65 established a joint Arab military command, which proved unsuccessful in implementing a united strategy for the liberation of Palestine. Egypt's membership was suspended from 1979 to 1989 because of its treaty with Israel, and the league's headquarters were moved to Tunis. In 1988 the league endorsed the PLO's plan for a negotiated settlement with Israel, and in 1991 Cairo once again became its headquarters. In 2002 the league for the first time offered Israel normal relations with Arab countries if it met certain conditions, but many of those conditions were not acceptable to Israel.
For many years, closer political unity among members was hampered by a division between pro-Western member countries and neutralist or pro-Soviet ones; more recently the division has been between militant Islamic fundamentalists and Arab moderates. The league ultimately supported Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88) but was divided over the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 (see Persian Gulf War). In 1993 the league issued a statement condemning all forms of terrorism.
Mideast & N. Africa Encyclopedia:
League of Arab States
This foremost pan-Arab organization provides the institutional expression for the aspiration of Arab unity.
The League of Arab States, also known as the Arab League, is composed of twenty-two independent Arab states that have signed the Pact of the League of Arab States. Palestine, represented by the Palestinian Authority, is included as an independent state. The multipurpose League of Arab States seeks to promote Arab interests in general, but especially economic and security interests. It also works to resolve disputes among members and between member states and nonmember states. It has the image of unity in the protection of Arab independence and sovereignty. It promotes political, military, economic, social, cultural, and developmental cooperation among its members.
The league is an international governmental organization with permanent headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. From 1979 to 1990 its headquarters were in Tunis. It maintains delegations at United Nations
facilities in New York and Geneva, and at the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It also has offices in such key cities as Washington, D.C., London, Moscow, Paris, Bonn, Beijing, Brussels, Vienna, Madrid, Rome, and New Delhi. The league has not realized the perfect Arab unity desired by some Arab nationalists. From its inception some states emphasized state sovereignty in accordance with the league's pact and rejected federalist or unionist proposals. The league not only serves the mutual interests of its members, but also reflects the differences. The league members agreed to an Arab Charter on Human Rights in 1994 and to the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism in 1998.
History
The League of Arab States was founded on 22 March 1945 with the signing of the pact by seven Arab states. Sixteen additional states joined, but in 1990 Yemen (Aden) and Yemen (Sanʿa) merged to form the Republic of Yemen, bringing the total to twenty-two.
Although the league was formed after World War II, the process that led to its creation is a function of the development of Arab nationalism, which predated the twentieth century but grew dramatically after World War II. Egyptian prime minister
Mustafa al-Nahhas, Iraqi prime minister Nuri alSaʿid, and Transjordan's King Abdullah I ibn Hussein are credited with being early architects of the league in the 1940s. The British initiated, in part, the preparatory talks leading to its creation. In the fall of 1944, seven Arab states met in Alexandria, Egypt, to discuss the creation of a "Commonwealth of Arab States." On 7 October 1944 Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Transjordan signed the Alexandria Protocol, which envisioned a league of independent states, rather than a union or federation. The main points of the protocol were subsequently incorporated into the league, as was an appendix stressing Palestinian independence. The league's initial members were Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (now Jordan), and Yemen (Sanaa).
The league's general structure has remained intact since its formation, but the scope of its activities has expanded dramatically, especially in nonpolitical fields. The organization consists of a council, special committees, and a secretariat-general. In addition, the league has become an umbrella organization responsible for the numerous specialized agencies, unions, and other institutions created to promote Arab interests.
Organization
The pact established a council as the league's principal organ. It is composed of representatives of each member state, with each state having one vote. Unanimous decisions of the council are binding on all members. Majority decisions are binding only on those members that accepted them, except that majority decisions are enforceable on all members for certain specific matters relating to personnel, the budget, administrative regulations, and adjournment. The council implements league policies and pursues league goals. It meets twice a year, in March and September, but extraordinary meetings can be called at the request of two members.
Special committees have been established to support and represent the council. The league's committees have included the Political Committee, Culture Committee, Communications Committee, Social Committee, Legal Committee, Arab Oil Experts Committee, Information Committee, Health Committee, Human Rights Committee, Permanent Committee for Administration and Financial Affairs, Permanent Committee for Meteorology, Committee of Arab Experts on Cooperation, Arab Women's Committee, Organization of Youth Welfare, and Conference of Liaison Officers.
The secretariat-general consists of the secretary-general, assistant secretaries-general, and other principal officials of the league. It is responsible for administrative and financial activities. The council, with the approval of a two-thirds majority of the league's members, appoints the secretary-general to a renewable five-year term. The secretary-general has the rank of ambassador.
The office of the secretary-general was held by Egyptians during the first three decades of the league: Abd al-Rahman al-Azzam (1945 - 1952); Abd alKhaliq Hassuna (1952 - 1972); and Mahmud Riyad (1972 - 1979). A Tunisian, Chadli Klibi, held the post from 1979 until 1990. He resigned during the controversy surrounding the Gulf Crisis. Ahmad Ismat Abd al-Majid, an Egyptian, served as secretary-general from May 1991 to 2001. He was followed in 2001 by the popular Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa (also Musa).
In 1950 the Treaty of Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation complemented the league pact and provided for the establishment of the Joint Defense Council and the Permanent Military Commission. An Economic Council was set up under the treaty in 1953. An Arab Unified Military Command was formed in 1964. In 1976 an Arab Deterrent Force was sent to Lebanon under league auspices.
Financing
The League of Arab States is financed by an assessment of charges made to each member. The secretary-general prepares a draft budget and submits it to the council for approval before the beginning of each fiscal year. The council then fixes the share of the expenses or dues to be paid by each member state. This share may be reconsidered if necessary.
| No. | Date and location | Resolutions, outcomes |
| TABLE BY GGS INFORMATION SERVICES, THE GALE GROUP. | ||
| 1st | January 1964, Cairo | Agreed to oppose "the robbery of the waters of Jordan by Israel." |
| 2nd | September 1964, Alexandria | Supported the establishment of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in its effort to liberate Palestine from the Zionists. |
| 3rd | September 1965, Casablanca | Opposed "intra-Arab hostile propaganda." |
| 4th | 29 August - 1 September 1967, Khartoum | Held post-1967 Arab-Israeli War, which ended with crushing Israeli victory; declared three "no's": "no negotiation with Israel, no treaty, no recognition of Israel." |
| 5th | December 1969, Rabat | Called for the mobilization of member countries against Israel. |
| 6th | November 1973, Algiers | Held in the wake of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, it set strict guidelines for dialogue with Israel. |
| 7th | 30 October - 2 November 1974, Rabat | Declared the PLO to be "the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," who had "the right to establish the independent state of Palestine on any liberated territory." |
| 8th | October 1976, Cairo | Approved the establishment of a peacekeeping force (Arab Deterrent Force) for the Lebanese Civil War. |
| 9th | November 1978, Baghdad | Condemned the Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel, and threatened Egypt with sanctions, including the suspension of its membership if Egypt signed a treaty with Israel. |
| 10th | November 1979, Tunis | Held in the wake of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1978, it discussed Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon. |
| 11th | November 1980, Amman | Formulated a strategy for economic development among League members until 2000. |
| 12th | November 1981/September 1982, Fez | Meeting was suspended due to resistance to a peace plan drafted by Saudi crown prince Fahd, which implied de facto recognition of the Jewish state. In September 1982 at Fez, the meeting reconvened to adopt a modified version of the Fahd Plan, called the Fez Plan. |
| 13th | August 1985, Casablanca | Failed to back a PLO-Jordanian agreement that envisaged talks with Israel about Palestinian rights. Summit boycotted by five member states. |
| 14th | November 1987, Amman | Supported UN Security Council Resolution 598 regarding cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq War. Also declared that individual member states could decide to resume diplomatic ties with Egypt. |
| 15th | June 1988, Casablanca | Decided to financially support the PLO in sustaining the Intifada in the occupied territories. |
| 16th | May 1989, Casablanca | Readmitted Egypt into Arab League, and set up Tripartite Committee to secure a cease-fire in the Lebanese Civil War and re-establish a constitutional government in Lebanon. |
| 17th | May 1990, Baghdad | Denounced recent increase of Soviet Jewish immigration to Israel. |
| 18th | August 1990, Cairo | 12 out of 20 members present condemned Iraq for invading and annexing Kuwait. Agreed to deploy troops to assist Saudi and other Gulf states' armed forces. |
| 19th | June 1995, Cairo | Held after a hiatus of five years. Iraq not invited. |
| 20th | October 2000, Cairo | Set up funds to help the Palestinians' Second Intifada against the Israeli occupation, and called on its members to freeze their relations with Israel. Iraq was invited. |
| 21st | March 2001, Amman | Held after the election of Ariel Sharon as Israel's prime minister, it appointed Egypt's Amr Mousa as the Arab League's new secretary-general. |
| 22nd | March 2002, Beirut | Adopted the Saudi Peace Plan of Crown Prince Abdullah, which offered Israel total peace in exchange for total Israeli withdrawal from Arab territories conquered in the 1967 war. Opposed the use of force against Iraq. |
| 23rd | March 2003, Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt | Agreed not to participate in the U.S.-led attack on Iraq, but allowed the United States to use military bases in some of their countries. |
The league experienced significant difficulties in the collection of member-state dues in the aftermath of the Gulf Crisis (1990 - 1991) and subsequently. Its 1991 budget was over $27 million, with the largest share being assessed to Saudi Arabia (14%), Kuwait (14%), Libya (12%), Iraq (10%), Egypt (8.5%), Algeria (8%), the United Arab Emi-rates (6.5%), and Morocco (5%). Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, and Yemen had reservations concerning their share of the league budget. The 1999 budget was set at $26.5 million, but when Amr Moussa took office in 2001, it was estimated at $50 million. Also, late dues reportedly had reached $100 million, with some states more than a decade in arrears. According to Article 15 of the league's bylaws, approved in 1973, members can be denied voting rights if their delinquent dues total more than their total assessment of the current year and the two preceding years.
Policy
The League of Arab States has had a significant impact on the Middle East and on its members. Although it has not been a stepping-stone to Arab political unity, it has fostered Arab cooperation in many fields. Cooperation on political questions, however, has been difficult. In fact, political conflicts in the Arab world are frequently reflected in the league. Governmental diversity is protected in the league pact, which requires each member to respect the systems of government of other members. The pact also requires states to abstain from action calculated to change the systems of government in other members.
The Cold War served to draw political lines within the league between clients of the United States and those of the Soviet Union. Despite the wealth of some of its members, the league is more closely aligned to the South in the North-South conflict, sometimes acting as a bloc for the South in the United Nations.
The league has actively sought to bolster Arab security, but its efforts are limited by inter-Arab rivalries. It has facilitated the peaceful settlement of disputes between its members, as between Morocco and Mauritania; between groups within member states, as in Lebanon or Somalia; and between members and outside parties, as between Libya and the United States. The league has acted as a regional alternative to the United Nations in this regard.
The league has been united in its support for Palestine vis-à-vis Israel, but has come under increasing criticism in recent years for failing to do enough for the Palestinians and for Iraq. Egypt's treaty with Israel (the 1978 Camp David Accords) resulted in its suspension from the league from 1979 to 1989. Members were also divided over the Fahd Plan (1981); over the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); and over the Iran-Iraq War (1980 - 1988). Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the first Gulf War (1991) prompted additional controversy. The U.S. move against Iraq in 2003 brought strong and united condemnation of "American-British aggression against Iraq." The league also emphasized its cooperation with the United Nations.
Membership
League members are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. In November 2002 Libya asked to withdraw its membership. Any independent Arab state is theoretically entitled to become a member, but a request for membership must be made through the permanent secretariat-general of the league and submitted to the council. Eritrea assumed an observer status in January 2003.
Satellite Organizations
Numerous specialized organizations and other institutions that promote Arab cooperation and protect Arab interests in a wide array of fields fall under the league umbrella. These include, among others: the Academy of Arab Music; Administrative Tribunal of the Arab League; Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; Arab Bureau of Narcotics; Arab Bureau for Prevention of Crime; Arab Bureau of Criminal Police; Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands; Arab Civil Aviation Council; Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development; Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to Africa and Arab Countries; Arab Industrial Development Organization; Arab Labour Organization; Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization; Arab Maritime Transport Academy; Arab Monetary Fund; Arab Organization for Agricultural Development; Arab Organization for Standardization and Metrology; Arab Organization of Administrative Sciences; Arab Postal Union; Arab Satellite Communications Organization; Arab States Broadcasting Union; Arab Telecommunications Union; Council of Arab Economic Unity; Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior; Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation; Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries; and the Special Bureau for Boycotting Israel.
Prospects
After the second Persian Gulf war in 2003, relations between member states of the league remained uncertain. Amr Moussa moved to reunify the Arab ranks and worked through the United Nations. The uncertainties unleashed in the gulf spawned new dangers aimed at regimes friendly to the United States. The crisis offers new challenges to Arab leadership that could enhance the role of the Arab League. The league's aspiration of Arab unity will be central to the creation of a new world order, as will the inevitable divisions in the Arab ranks. Arab cooperation in nonpolitical areas will continue under the league's aegis and will promote not only improved relations among Arabs, but also between Arabs and outside states and organizations.
Bibliography
Arab League. Available from http://www.arableagueonline.org/arableague.
Burdett, Anita, ed. The Arab League: British DocumentarySources, 1943 - 1963. Slough, U.K.: Archive Editions, 1995.
Hasou, Tawfiq Y. The Struggle for the Arab World: Egypt's Nasser and the Arab League. Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1985.
Hassouna, Hussein A. The League of Arab States and RegionalDisputes: A Study in Middle East Conflicts. Dobbs Ferry, NY: Oceana Publications, 1975.
MacDonald, Robert W. The League of Arab States: A Study in theDynamics of Regional Organization. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965.
Pogany, Istvan S. The Arab League and Peacekeeping in theLebanon. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1988.
Riad, Mahmoud. The Struggle for Peace in the Middle East. New York: Quartet Books, 1981.
Zamzami, Sirag G. "The Origins of the League of Arab States and Its Activities within the Member States: 1942 - 1970." Ph.D. diss., Claremont Graduate School, 1978.
— CHARLES G. MACDONALD
Islamic Dictionary:
Arab League
The League of Arab States, an organization of Arabic-speaking nations, including Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It was established March 22, 1945 to coordinate political, cultural, health and communications activities, and to safeguard the independence and sovereignty of each member nation.
Wikipedia:
Arab League
| جامعة الدول العربية Jāmaʻat ad-Duwwal al-ʻArabiyya Arab League
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Headquarters | Cairo, Egypt1 | |||||
| Official languages | Arabic | |||||
| Membership | 22 Arab states 2 observer states |
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| Leaders | ||||||
| - | Secretary General | Amr Moussa (since 2001) | ||||
| - | Council of the Arab League |
Sudan |
||||
| - | Speaker of the Arab Parliament |
Nabih Berri |
||||
| Establishment | ||||||
| - | Alexandria Protocol | March 22, 1945 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | sq mi |
||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2007 estimate | 339,510,535 (3rd2) | ||||
| - | Density | 24.33/km² /sq mi |
||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $1,564,789 million (10th2) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $7,890 | ||||
| Currency | see footnote 3 below | |||||
| Time zone | (UTC+0 to +4) | |||||
| Website (Arabic) http://arableagueonline.org/ |
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| 1 | From 1979 to 1989: Tunis, Tunisia. | |||||
| 2 | If ranked. | |||||
| 3 | ISO 4217 codes bracketed: Algerian dinar (DZB) • Bahraini dinar (BHD) • Comorian franc (KMF) • Djiboutian franc (DJF) • Egyptian pound (EGP) • Iraqi dinar (IQD) • Jordanian dinar (JD) • Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) • Lebanese livre (LL, LBP) • Libyan dinar (LYD) • Mauritanian ouguiya (MRO) • Moroccan dirham (MAD) • Omani rial (OMR) • Qatari riyal (QAR) • Saudi riyal (SAR) • Somali shilling (SOS) • Sudanese pound (SDD) • Syrian pound (SYP) • Tunisian dinar (TND) • United Arab Emirates dirham (AED) • Yemeni rial (YER) |
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Life in the Arab League |
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The Arab League (Arabic: الجامعة العربية), also called League of the Arab States (Arabic: جامعة الدول العربية), is a regional organization of Arab States in the Middle East and North Africa. It was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (renamed Jordan after 1946), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945. It currently has 22 members.
The main goal of the League was to:
- "draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries."[1]
The Arab League is involved in political, economic, cultural, and social programs designed to promote the interests of member states. The Arab League has served as a forum for member states to coordinate their policy positions and deliberate on matters of common concern, settling some Arab disputes and limiting conflicts such as the Lebanese civil wars of 1958. The Arab League has served as a platform for the drafting and conclusion of almost all landmark documents promoting economic integration among member states, such as the creation of the Joint Arab Economic Action Charter, which set out the principles for economic activities of the League. It has played an important role in shaping school curricula, and preserving manuscripts and Arab cultural heritage. The Arab League has launched literacy campaigns, and reproduced intellectual works, and translated modern technical terminology for the use of member states. It encourages measures against crime and drug abuse and deals with labor issues (particularly among the emigrant Arab workforce).
The Arab League has also fostered cultural exchanges between member states, encouraged youth and sports programs, helped to advance the role of women in Arab societies, and promoted child welfare activities.
Each member has one vote on the League Council, decisions being binding only on those states that have voted for them. The aims of the League in 1945 were to strengthen and coordinate the political, cultural, economic, and social programs of its members, and to mediate disputes among them or between them and third parties. The signing on April 13, 1950, of an agreement on Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation also committed the signatories to coordination of military defense measures.
History
The British Empire realized the Urge of Unity Within Arab States (Pan Arabism) in the early part of the twentieth century, which helped them secure the cooperation of the Arabs, leading them to revolt (Arab Revolt) against the Turkish Ottoman Empire during World War I. The British promised to help the Arabs establish a united Arab kingdom under Sherif Hussein of Mecca, which would encompass the Asian part of the Arab World (including the modern day Arabian peninsula, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Jordan). After winning the war, however, the British betrayed Sharif Hussein and instead helped divide the region into mini states, implementing their policy of "Divide and Rule."[citation needed]
The British needed Arab cooperation once more during World War II, and again returned to play the Pan-Arabism card by encouraging the formation of the League.[citation needed] Many Arab intellectuals believe that the British did not want the League to act as a step towards Arab unity, but actually used the League to prevent it.
The Egyptian government first proposed the Arab League in 1943. Egypt and some of the other Arab states wanted closer cooperation without the loss of self-rule that would result from total union. The original charter of the Arab League created a regional organization of sovereign states that was neither a union nor a federation. Among the goals the league set for itself were winning independence for all Arabs still under alien rule, and to prevent the Jewish minority in Palestine (then governed by the British) from creating a Jewish state. The members eventually formed a joint defense council, an economic council, and a permanent military command.
The Arab Peace Initiative, 2002
A Saudi-inspired peace plan for the Arab-Israeli Conflict was adopted by the Arab summit in Beirut, 2002. [1]
Economy
The Arab League is rich in resources, with enormous Oil and Natural Gas resources, it also has great fertile lands in South of the Sudan, usually referred to as the food basket of the Arab World, the region's instability has not affected its tourism industry, that is considered the fastest gorwing industry in the region, with Egypt, UAE, Lebanon, Tunisia and Jordan leading the way. Another industry that is growing steadily in the Arab League is telecommunications. Within less then a decade, local companies such as Orascom and Etisalat have managed to compete internationally.
Economical achievements within members have been low in the league's history, other smaller Arab Organizations have achieved more then the league has, such as the GCC, but lately several major economic projects that are promising are to be completed, the Arab Gas Pipeline is to end by the year 2010, Connecting Egyptian and Iraqi Gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and then to Turkey thus Europe , a free trade Agreement(GAFTA) is to be completed by 1st of January 2008, making 95% of all Arab Products tax free of customs.
The economic development in the Arab League is very diverse. There is a significant difference between on one hand the rich oilstates of the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain and on the other hand the poor countries like the Comoros, Mauritania and Djibouti.
List of member states by GDP
Source: IMF (2005)
| Rank | Country | GDP (millions of USD) |
|---|---|---|
| - |  Arab League |
1,019,770 |
| 1 |  Saudi Arabia |
307,770 |
| 2 |  Egypt |
178,350 |
| 3 |  United Arab Emirates |
133,768 |
| 4 |  Algeria |
102,026 |
| 5 |  Kuwait |
74,598 |
| 6 |  Morocco |
51,986 |
| 7 |  Libya |
38,738 |
| 8 |  Qatar |
37,852 |
| 9 |  Oman |
30,326 |
| 10 |  Tunisia |
30,185 |
| 11 |  Sudan |
27,699 |
| 12 |  |
26,442 |
| 13 |  Lebanon |
22,052 |
| 14 |  Yemen |
15,193 |
| 15 |  Bahrain |
12,921 |
| 16 |  Jordan |
12,861 |
| 17 |  Mauritania |
1,938 |
| 18 |  Comoros |
370 |
Geography
The area of members of the Arab League covers around 14 million square km and straddles two continents: Asian Middle East and North Africa. The area consists of large arid desert areas (eg The Sahara) but also has several very fertile lands in the Nile Valley and the High Atlas Mountains of North Africa and the fertile crescent stretching from Iraq to Syria Lebanon and Palestine. It also has deep forests in southern Arabia and south Sudan. It has the longest river (The Nile).
The area has witnessed the rise and fall of many ancient civilizations - Ancient Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Phoenicia, Carthage, Kush, Nabateans, and Axum all lived within its modern day borders.
Members
The Arab League was founded in Cairo in 1945 by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (Jordan from 1950), and Yemen.
Countries that later joined are: Algeria (1962), Bahrain (1971), Comoros (1993), Djibouti (1977), Kuwait (1961), Libya (1953), Mauritania (1973), Morocco (1958), Oman (1971), Qatar (1971), Somalia (1974), Southern Yemen (1967), Sudan (1956), Tunisia (1958), and the United Arab Emirates (1971).
The Palestine Liberation Organization was admitted in 1976.
Egypt's membership was suspended in 1979 after it signed a peace treaty with Israel. The league's headquarters was moved from Cairo, Egypt, to Tunis, Tunisia. In 1987 Arab leaders decided to renew diplomatic ties with Egypt. Egypt was readmitted to the league in 1989 and the league's headquarters was moved back to Cairo. In September 2006, Venezuela was accepted as a observer member of the Arab League.
The current members and observers of the Arab League and their dates of admission (observers in italics):
Status of Palestine
Mindful of their previous announcements in support of the Arabs of Palestine the framers of the Pact were determined to include them within the League from its inauguration.[13]
This was done by means of an annex that declared:
- "Even though Palestine was not able to control her own destiny, it was on the basis of the recognition of her independence that the Covenant of the League of Nations determined a system of government for her. Her existence and her independence among the nations can, therefore, no more be questioned de jure than the independence of any of the other Arab States... Therefore, the States signatory to the Pact of the Arab League consider that in view of Palestine's special circumstances, the Council of the League should designate an Arab delegate from Palestine to participate in its work until this country enjoys actual independence."[1]
At the Cairo Summit of 1964, the Arab League initiated the creation of an organization representing the Palestinian people. The Palestinian National Council convened in (east) Jerusalem on 29 May 1964. The Palestinian Liberation Organization was founded during this meeting on 2 June 1964.
Government
The Charter of the Arab League[2] endorsed the principle of an Arab homeland while respecting the sovereignty of the individual member states.
The internal regulations of the Council of the League were agreed in October 1951 [3] as well as those of the committees [4]. Those of the Secretary-General were agreed in May 1953. [5]
Since then, Arab order has based on this duality. Preservation of individual statehood derived its strengths from natural preferences of ruling elites to maintain their power and their independence in decision making. The fear of rich Arabs that poorer Arabs may come to share their wealth in the name of Arab nationalism, the feuds among Arab rulers and the influence of external powers that saw potential danger in Arab unity; all reinforced this duality.
see Government of the Arab League
Demographics of the Arab League
see Demographics of the Arab League
The Arab League, is a highly Populated region, culturally diverse League of 22 member states. As of January 1, 2007, the population of the Arab League was about 314 million people. Many countries are expected to experience an increase in population over the coming decades eating up all the slow Economic Developments being made in the League's Developing Countries.
The most populous member state is Egypt, with a population of 80 million people, with the least Populated is Djibouti with around half a million inhabitant. Most of the Gulf States have high foreign Labor, the UAE's native population counts for less then 20% of its over all population, and 50% from South East Asia. some Gulf states import cheap Arab labor mainly from Egypt and Yemen, and others from Asia and Africa.
Comparisons with other organizations
The Arab League resembles the Organization of American States, the Council of Europe, and the African Union, in that it has primarily political aims; one can regard each of these organizations as a regional version of the United Nations. However, its membership is based on culture rather than geographical location (which is the basis for membership of the other organizations cited above). In this respect the Arab League may bring to mind organizations such as the Latin Union.
The Arab League differs notably from some other regional organizations such as the European Union, in that it has not achieved any significant degree of regional integration and the organization itself has no direct relations with the citizens of its member states.
All Arab League members are also members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. In turn, the memberships of the smaller GCC and Arab Maghreb Union organizations are subsets of that of the Arab League.
The organization of the Arab League is based on principles that would support and promote a unified Arab Nationalism and a common position among Arabic states on various issues. It is less likely to resemble organizations such as the African Union, where unified nationalism is impossible due to the heterogeneity of its members.
Secretaries General
| Abdul Rahman Azzam |
1945 to 1952 |
| Abdul Khalek
Hassouna |
1952 to 1972 |
| Mahmoud
Riad |
1972 to 1979 |
| Chedli
Klibi |
1979 to 1990 |
| Assad
al-Assad |
1990 to 1991 |
| Ahmad Esmat Abd al Meguid |
1991 to 2001 |
| Amr
Moussa |
2001 to Date |
Arab League Summits
Cairo:
13-17 Jan. 1964.- Alexandria: 5-11 Sep. 1964.
Casablanca: 13-17 Sep. 1965.
Khartoum: 29 Aug. 1967.- Rabat: 21-23 Dec. 1969.
- Cairo
(first emergency summit): 21-27 Sep. 1970
Algiers: 26-28 Nov.1973.- Rabat: 29 Oct. 1974.
Riyadh (2nd emergency summit): 17-28 Oct. 1976.- Cairo:
25-26 Oct. 1976.
Baghdad:
2-5 Nov.1978.
Tunis: 20-22 Nov. 1979.
Amman:
21-22 Nov. 1980.- Fes: 6-9 Sep. 1982.
- Casablanca (3rd emergency summit): 7-9 Sep. 1985
- Amman
(4th emergency summit): 8-12 Nov. 1987.
- Algiers (5th emergency summit): 7-9 Jun. 1988.
- Casablanca (6th emergency summit): 23-26 Jun. 1989.
- Baghdad
(7th emergency summit): 28-30 Mar. 1990.
- Cairo
(8th emergency summit): 9-10 Aug. 1990
- Cairo
(9th emergency summit): 22-23 Jun. 1996.
- Cairo
(10th emergency summit): 21-22 Oct. 2000.
- Amman:
27-28 Mar. 2001.
Beirut: 27-28 Mar. 2002.- Sharm
el-Sheikh: 1 Mar. 2003.
- Tunis: 22-23 May. 2004.