Nevertheless, it also contains several highly fertile lands like the Nile Valley, the Jubba Valley and Shebelle Valley in the Horn of Africa, the Atlas Mountains in the Maghreb, and the Fertile Crescent that stretches over Mesopotamia and the Levant. It was followed by the creation of a mutual defence treaty two years later. Another industry that is growing steadily in the Arab League is telecommunications. The stated purposes of the Arab League are to strengthen ties among the member states, coordinate their policies, and promote their common interests. At the Beirut Summit on 28 March 2002, the league adopted the Arab Peace Initiative,[27] a Saudi-inspired peace plan for the Arab–Israeli conflict. As of 1 July 2013, about 359 million people live in the states of the Arab League. Palestine was shortly admitted in to the Arab League, represented by the PLO. Each member state has one vote in the League Council, and decisions are binding only for those states that have voted for them. A new railway system is also set to connect the southern Egyptian city of Abu Simbel with the northern Sudanese city of Wadi Halfa and then to Khartoum and Port Sudan. [citation needed], Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, Saudi Arabian-led military intervention in Yemen, Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, Joint Defence and Economic Co-operation Treaty, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab League and the Arab–Israeli conflict, General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries, International Association of Arabic Dialectology, International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions, List of multilateral free-trade agreements, List of tallest buildings in the Arab League, Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Arab Standardization and Metrology Organization, "Pact of the League of Arab States, 22 March 1945", "The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO)", "The Joint Arab Force—Will It Ever Work? The last division of the League is the isolated island of the Comoros located off the coast of East Africa, which is not physically connected to any other Arab state, but still trades with other Arab League members. [42] Among them is the Arab Gas Pipeline, that will transport Egyptian and Iraqi gas to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Less than two weeks later, amid reports that the Syrian forces had continued to kill protesters in spite of the agreement, the Arab League voted to suspend Syria’s participation. Furthermore, the signing of an agreement on Joint Defence and Economic Cooperation on 13 April 1950 committed the signatories to coordination of military defence measures. The Arab league is an organization which has the Arabic-speaking countries as its members, its purpose is political and economical in general, like discussing some issue in the region, getting the Arab nations closer and try to unite them at least politically. HuffPost is part of Verizon Media. In February 2011 the Arab League suspended Libya’s participation in the league amid its regime’s violent response to the Libya Revolt, and in March it supported the imposition of a no-fly zone to protect opponents of Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi from air attacks by loyalist forces. [21] On 9 March 2014, secretary general Nabil al-Arabi said that Syria's seat would remain vacant until the opposition completes the formation of its institutions.[22]. Its population grows faster than in most other global regions. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 initially with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (renamed Jordan in 1949), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. [citation needed]. The Charter of the Arab League, also known as the Pact of the League of Arab States, is the founding treaty of the Arab League. These two Arab League states are separated by only ten nautical miles from the Arabian Peninsula by the Bab el Mandeb and this is quickly changing as Tarik bin Laden, the brother of Osama bin Laden, has initiated the construction of the ambitious Bridge of the Horns project, which ultimately aims to connect the Horn of Africa with the Arabian Peninsula via a massive bridge. Participation in the project is voluntary, and the army intervenes only at the request of one of the member states. Through institutions, notably the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and the Economic and Social Council of its Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), the League facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific, and social programmes designed to promote the interests of the Arab world. It is referred to as the food basket of the Arab World, the region's instability including the independence of South Sudan 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. Because definitions and data collection methods vary across countries, literacy estimates should be used with caution. The league, however, was weakened by internal dissension on political issues, especially those concerning Israel and the Palestinians. [28] On 13 June 2010, Amr Mohammed Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab League, visited the Gaza Strip, the first visit by an official of the Arab League since Hamas' armed takeover in 2007. The Charter of the Arab League[5] endorsed the principle of an Arab homeland while respecting the sovereignty of the individual member states. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. It possesses elements of a state representative parliament while foreign affairs are often conducted under UN supervision. Economic achievements initiated by the League amongst member states have been less impressive than those achieved by smaller Arab organisations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). As of 2020[update], there are 22 member states: and 5 observer states (note: the below observer states have been invited to participate during select Arab League sessions, but do not hold voting privileges): Libya was suspended on 22 February 2011, following the start of the Libyan Civil War. This page was last edited on 25 September 2020, at 17:50. [33], The Joint Defence Council of the Arab League is one of the Institutions of the Arab League. Economical achievements within members have been low in the league's history, other smaller Arab Organizations have achieved more than 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 1 January 2008, making 95% of all Arab Products tax free of customs. The Arab League is a political organization which tries to help integrate its members economically, and solve conflicts involving member states without asking for foreign assistance. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Its aims were to strengthen and coordinate political, cultural, economic, and social programs of its members and to mediate disputes involving its members. [26] This was done by means of an annex that declared:[5], 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. The majority of the Arab League's citizens adhere to Islam, with Christianity being the second largest religion. The Arab League (Arabic: الجامعة العربية‎, al-Jāmiʻa al-ʻArabiyya), formally the League of Arab States (Arabic: جامعة الدول العربية‎, Jāmiʿa ad-Duwal al-ʿArabiyya), is a regional organization in the Arab world, which is located in Africa and Western Asia. [30], In September 2019, the Arab League condemned Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to annex the eastern portion of the occupied West Bank known as the Jordan Valley. [20], Syria was suspended on 16 November 2011. Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn! The Arab League was forced to adapt to sudden changes in the Arab world when popular protests known as the Arab Spring broke out in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa in late 2010 and early 2011. In 1959 it held the first Arab petroleum congress and in 1964 established the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2010. The first Palestinian National Council convened in East Jerusalem on 29 May 1964. Arab League, regional organization of Arab states formed in Cairo in 1945. Following adoption of the Alexandria Protocol in 1944, the Arab League was founded on 22 March 1945. Also in 1964, despite objections by Jordan, the league granted the PLO observer status as the representative of all Palestinians. In July 2007, the Arab League sent a mission, consisting of the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers, to Israel to promote the initiative. [3] Yemen joined as a member on 5 May 1945. That led, under its decree K1175/D52/G to the setting up of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, mandated to promote, encourage and facilitate bilateral trade between the Arab world and significant trading partner, the United Kingdom. On 6 March 2013, the Arab League gave the Syrian National Coalition Syria's seat in the Arab League. Arab League, also called League of Arab States (LAS), Arabic Al-Jāmiʿah al-ʿArabiyyah or Al-Jāmiʿah al-Duwal al-ʿArabiyyah, regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa, formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945, as an outgrowth of Pan-Arabism. The Palestinian Liberation Organization was founded during this meeting on 2 June 1964. 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. Egypt was reinstated as a member of the Arab League in 1989, and the league’s headquarters returned to Cairo in 1990. The Arab League as an organisation has no military Force, similar to the UN, but at the 2007 summit, the Leaders decided to reactivate their joint defence and establish a peacekeeping force to deploy in South Lebanon, Darfur, Iraq, and other hot spots. 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 Pan Arab Games are considered the biggest Arab sporting event, which brings together athletes from all the Arab countries to participate in a variety of different sports. [...] 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. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the later involvement, at the request of Saudi Arabia, of Western countries—mainly the United States—in ridding Kuwait of Iraqi presence caused a deep rift in the league. The internal regulations of the Council of the League[23] and the committees[24] were agreed in October 1951. Today, State of Palestine is a full member of the Arab League. Following Venezuela's move to expel Israeli diplomats amid the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, Kuwaiti member of parliament Waleed Al-Tabtabaie proposed moving Arab League headquarters to Caracas, Venezuela. Preservation of individual statehood derived its strengths from the natural preference of ruling elites to maintain their power and independence in decision making.