Arab League

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The Arab League (Arabic: الجامعة العربية‎), officially called the 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 May 5, 1945. It currently has 22 members.

The main goal of the League is 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.

Contents 1 History 2 The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative 3 Economy 3.1 List of member states by GDP 4 Geography 5 Members 6 Status of Palestine 7 Government 8 Demographics of the Arab League 9 Comparisons with other organizations 10 Secretaries General 11 Arab League Summits 12 Sub-Organization 13 See also 14 Notes 15 References 16 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of the Arab League

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 against the Turkish-ruled 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.

[edit] The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative

Main article: Arab Peace Initiative

At the Beirut Summit on 28 March 2002 the Arab League adopted the Arab Peace Initiative[1], a Saudi-inspired peace plan for the Arab-Israeli Conflict.

The Initiative offered full normalization of relations with Israel in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the Occupied Territories, including the Golan Heights, the recognition of "an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as a "just solution" for the Palestinian refugees.

The Peace Initiative was again endorsed in 2007 in the Riyadh Summit. In July 2007 the Arab League sent a mission, consisting of the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers, to Israel to promote the Initiative, which has been welcomed by Israel, with reservations.

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of the Arab League

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 growing 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 than a decade, local companies such as Orascom and Etisalat have managed to compete internationally.

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Arab League Provinces (only map of its kind)

Economic achievements initiated by the League amongst member states have been less impressive than those achieved by other smaller Arab organizations such as the GCC. However, several promising major economic projects are set to be completed soon. Among them are the Arab Gas Pipeline, scheduled to be finished by the year 2010, which will connect Egyptian and Iraqi Gas to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and also to Turkey (and, therefore, Europe), as well as a free trade Agreement (GAFTA) stated for completion by the January 1 2008, making 95% of all Arab products free of customs.

Economic development in the Arab League is very disparate, with a significant difference in wealth and economic conditions between the rich oil states of the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, on the one hand, and poor countries like the Comoros, Mauritania, and Djibouti.

Arab Economic Funding is being made, the Arab League agreed to Aid Sudanese Region of Darfur with 500 million dollars, and Egyptian and Libyan Companies are planning on building Several wells in the dry region.

[edit] List of member states by GDP

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Arab Countries by nominal GDP.
Source: IMF (2005)

Country	GDP (PPP)	GDP per capita (PPP)
Image:Flag of the League of Arab States.svg Arab League	2,323,453,000,000	-
Image:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia	572,200,000,000	20,700
Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt	431,900,000,000	5,400
Image:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates	145,800,000,000	55,200
Image:Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria	268,900,000,000	8,100
Image:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait	138,600,000,000	55,300
Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco	127,000,000,000	3,800
Image:Flag of Libya.svg Libya	78,790,000,000	13,100
Image:Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar	68,870,000,000	75,900
Image:Flag of Oman.svg Oman	61,210,000,000	19,100
Image:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia	77,160,000,000	7,500
Image:Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan	107,800,000,000	2,500
Image:Flag of Syria.svg Syria	86,590,000,000	4,500
Image:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon	40,650,000,000	10,400
Image:Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen	52,610,000,000	2,400
Image:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain	24,610,000,000	34,700
Image:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan	28,180,000,000	4,700
Image:Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania	5,818,000,000	1,800
Image:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros	1,262,000,000	600
Image:Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti	1,878,000,000	1,000
Image:Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia	5,575,000,000	600

[edit] Geography

Main Article

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Arab League Member states divided in the two continents of Asia and Africa

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 (e.g., 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, and Nabateans all lived within its modern day borders.

[edit] Members

The Arab League was founded in Cairo in 1945 by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (Jordan from 1950), and Yemen. There was an increase in the membership of the League in the second half of the 20th century, with 15 Arab states and 3 observers being admitted.

Egypt's membership was suspended in 1979 after it signed a peace treaty with Israel, and the League's headquarters were moved from Cairo, Egypt, to Tunis, Tunisia. In 1987 Arab countries restored diplomatic relations with Egypt, and Egypt was readmitted to the League in 1989 with the League's headquarters moving back to Cairo. In September 2006, Venezuela was accepted as an observer, and India in 2007.

The current members and observers of the Arab League and their dates of admission (observers in italics) are:

Image:Arab League members colored by joining date.svg

Map showing the Arab League members colored by the decade of joining. Color codes are as follows:    1940's,    1950's,    1960's,    1970's. The Comoros (circled) joined in 1993.

Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt[2] Image:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq[3] Image:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan[4]b Image:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon[5] Image:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia[6]   Image:Flag of Syria.svg Syria[7] March 22 1945a Image:Flag of Yemen.svg Yemen May 5 1945 Image:Flag of Libya.svg Libya March 28 1953c Image:Flag of Sudan.svg Sudan January 19 1956 Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Moroccod Image:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia October 1 1958 Image:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait July 20 1961 Image:Flag of Algeria.svg Algeria August 16 1962

Image:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg UAE June 12 1972 Image:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain Image:Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar September 11 1971 Image:Flag of Oman.svg Oman September 29 1971 Image:Flag of Mauritania.svg Mauritania   November 26 1973 Image:Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia February 14 1974 Image:Flag of Palestine.svg Palestine[8]e September 9 1976 Image:Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti April 9 1977 Image:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros November 20 1993 Image:Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea observer since 2003[9] Image:Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela observer since 2006[10][11] Image:Flag of India.svg India observer since 2007[12]

a Date of foundation. b As Transjordan. c Libya announced its withdrawal on October 24, 2002, which would have been effective one year later; however, Libya then retracted its decision to withdraw on January 16, 2003, reaffirmed it on April 3, 2003, before retracting it again on May 25, 2003. d The sovereignty of Western Sahara is disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front's Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic government. The Arab League recognizes it as a part of Morocco. e Representatives from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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]

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Area Comparison between the Arab League and other parts and countries of the World

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

[edit] Demographics of the Arab League

Main article: Demographics of the Arab League

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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007)

The Arab League is a highly populated region, culturally and ethnically diverse League of 22 member states. As of January 1, 2007, the population of the Arab League was around 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 76 million people, with the least populated is Djibouti with around half a million inhabitants. Most of the Gulf States have high foreign Labor; the UAE's native population counts for less than 20% of its overall population, and 50% from South East Asia. some Gulf states import cheaper Arab labor mainly from Egypt and Yemen, and others from the rest of Asia and Africa.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Secretaries General

Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Abdul Rahman Azzam	1945 to 1952
Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Abdul Khalek Hassouna	1952 to 1972
Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Mahmoud Riad	1972 to 1979
Image:Flag of Tunisia.svg Chedli Klibi	1979 to 1990
Image:Flag of Lebanon.svg Assad al-Assad	1990 to 1991
Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Ahmad Esmat Abd al Meguid	1991 to 2001
Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Amr Moussa	2001 to Date

[edit] Arab League Summits

1. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo: 13-17 Jan. 1964.
2. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Alexandria: 5-11 Sep. 1964.
3. Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Casablanca: 13-17 Sep. 1965.
4. Image:Flag of Sudan.svg Khartoum: 29 Aug. 1967.
5. Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Rabat: 21-23 Dec. 1969.
6. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo (first emergency summit): 21-27 Sep. 1970
7. Image:Flag of Algeria.svg Algiers: 26-28 Nov.1973.
8. Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Rabat: 29 Oct. 1974.
9. Image:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Riyadh (2nd emergency summit): 17-28 Oct. 1976.
10. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo: 25-26 Oct. 1976.
11. Image:Flag of Iraq.svg Baghdad: 2-5 Nov.1978.
12. Image:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunis: 20-22 Nov. 1979.
13. Image:Flag of Jordan.svg Amman: 21-22 Nov. 1980.
14. Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Fes: 6-9 Sep. 1982.
15. Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Casablanca (3rd emergency summit): 7-9 Sep. 1985
16. Image:Flag of Jordan.svg Amman (4th emergency summit): 8-12 Nov. 1987.
17. Image:Flag of Algeria.svg Algiers (5th emergency summit): 7-9 Jun. 1988.
18. Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Casablanca (6th emergency summit): 23-26 Jun. 1989.
19. Image:Flag of Iraq.svg Baghdad (7th emergency summit): 28-30 Mar. 1990.
20. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo (8th emergency summit): 9-10 Aug. 1990
21. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo (9th emergency summit): 22-23 Jun. 1996.
22. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Cairo (10th emergency summit): 21-22 Oct. 2000.
23. Image:Flag of Jordan.svg Amman: 27-28 Mar. 2001.
24. Image:Flag of Lebanon.svg Beirut: 27-28 Mar. 2002.
25. Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Sharm el-Sheikh: 1 Mar. 2003.
26. Image:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunis: 22-23 May. 2004.
27. Image:Flag of Algeria.svg Algiers: 22-23 Mar. 2005.
28. Image:Flag of Sudan.svg Khartoum: 28-30 Mar. 2006.
29. Image:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Riyadh: 27-28 Mar. 2007.
30. Image:Flag of Syria.svg Damascus: 29-30 Mar. 2008.

• Summit number 14 in Fes, Morocco occurred in two stages:
  • On 25 November 1981: The meeting ended without agreeing on the document and Egypt not shared in it. It is considered the shortest summit, only lasting 5 hours.
  • On 6-9 September 1982.
• There are two summits in addition to those aforementioned, but they are not added to the system of Arab League summits:
  • Anshas, Egypt: 28-29 May 1946.
  • Beirut, Lebanon: 13 November-15 November 1956.

[edit] Sub-Organization

• Secretary General of the League of Arab States
• The Council of the Arab League
• Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)
• Arab Technical Committees
• Arab Air Carriers Organization
• Specialized Ministerial Councils
• Parliament of the Arab League
• Joint Arab-Foreign Chambers Of Commerce
• General Secretariat Sub Departments

• Arabic industrial development and mining organization
• International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions
• Arab Monetary Fund
• General Arab Insurance Federation
• Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

[edit] See also

• Arab League and the Arab-Israeli conflict
• Agadir Agreement (FTA)
• Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA)
• Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)
• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
• Iran-Arab relations
• Largest Cities of the Arab League
• March 28, 2002 Arab Peace Initiative
• Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

[edit] Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Pact of the Arab League, Avalon Project, accessed 12 June, 2007.
2. ^ League of Arab States, Official Website, accessed 12 June, 2007.
3. ^ League of Arab States, Official Website, accessed 12 June, 2007.
4. ^ League of Arab States, Official Website, accessed 12 June, 2007.
5. ^ League of Arab States, Official Website, accessed 12 June, 2007.
6. ^ League of Arab States, Official Website, accessed 12 June, 2007.
7. ^ League of Arab States, Official Website, accessed 12 June, 2007.
8. ^ League of Arab States, Official Website, accessed 12 June, 2007.
9. ^ title url Eritrea Joins Arab League As Observer. Somaliland Times (2003-01-17). Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
10. ^ Arab League accepts Venezuela as observer. People's Daily Online (2006-07-18). Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
11. ^ Venezuela Receives Arab League Support for UN Security Council Seat. venezuelanalysis.com (2006-07-19). Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
12. ^ India invited as observer for Arab League summit. Press Trust of India (2007-03-27). Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
13. ^ Geddes, 1991, p. 208.

[edit] References

• Geddes, Charles L. (1991). A Documentary History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-275-93858-1

[edit] External links

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Members	Algeria · Bahrain · Comoros · Djibouti · Egypt · Iraq · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Sudan · Somalia · Syria · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · Yemen	Image:Flag of the League of Arab States.svg
Observers	Eritrea · India · Venezuela

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