The Arab League or League of Arab States, is an organization of Arab states. It is similar to the Organization of American States, or the Organization for African Unity, in that its responsibilities are primarily political; all three organizations can be considered like regional versions of the United Nations.
It is quite dissimilar from some other organizations such as European Union, because 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. Instead, the League's charter states that the League shall coordinate economic affairs, including commercial relations; communications; cultural affairs; nationality, passports, and visas; social affairs; and health affairs.
The Charter of the Arab League also forbids member states from resorting to force against each other.
The Arab League was formed on March 22, 1945 by seven states. Its main goal is defined as:
Serve the common good of all Arab countries, Ensure better conditions for all Arab countries, guarantee the future of all Arab countries and fulfill the hopes and expectations of all Arab countries.
Leadership
| Name | Nationality | Appointed | Left Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amr Moussa | Egypt | March 2001 | |
| Dr. Ahmad Esmat abd al Meguid | Egypt | March 2001 |
Members
The current members of the Arab League (and the date of their admission):
- Jordan (Founder) 22 / 3 / 1945
- United Arab Emirates 6 / 12 / 1971
- Bahrain 11 / 9 / 1971
- Tunisia 1 / 10 / 1958
- Algeria 16 / 8 / 1962
- Djibouti 4 / 9 / 1977
- Saudi Arabia (Founder) 22 / 3 / 1945
- Sudan 19 / 1 / 1956
- Syria (Founder) 22 / 3 / 1945
- Somalia 14 / 2 / 1974
- Iraq (Founder) 22 / 3 / 1945
- Oman 29 / 9 / 1971
- Palestine 9 / 9 / 1976
- Qatar 11 / 9 / 1971
- Comoros 20 / 11 / 1993
- Kuwait 20 / 7 / 1961
- Lebanon (Founder) 22 / 3 / 1945
- Libya 28 / 3 / 1953
- Egypt (Founder) 22 / 3 / 1945.
- Morocco 1 / 10 / 1958
- Mauritania 26 / 11 / 1973
- Yemen (Founder) 5 / 5 / 1945
The headquarters of the League is Cairo, Egypt. During Egypt's suspension, Tunis, Tunisia served as the League's headquarters.
Timeline
- 1979 -- Egypt's membership was suspended, following the peace treaty with Israel
- 1987 -- Egypt was readmitted
- October 2002 -- Libya's leader Moammar Gadhafi, announced Libya's withdrawal from the league, because of "Arab incapacity" in resolving the crisis between the United States and Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- March 24, 2003, the League voted 21-1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of US and British soldiers from Iraq. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Kuwait.