Saudi Arabia was one of the six founding members, the other five being Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (later renamed Jordan), Lebanon and Syria. Yemen joined a few months later. Later on, Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates joined the organization, which was formed with the aim of strengthening the relationships between member states through political, cultural and economic cooperation. It represents approximately 300 million mainly Arabic-speaking people spread over an area of 5.25 million square miles.
Going by the files of Arab News, or for that matter any newspaper, the impression that one gets about the organization is that of a divided house. The occupation of Palestine is the biggest political issue to deal with for the Arab/Muslim world. Just one news story filed on this year’s annual meeting of the Arab League in Sirte, Libya, is reflective of the present state of affairs. Headlined “Arab League defers decision on Mideast peace talks,” the story reads: “Arab leaders failed at their summit on Sunday (March 28) to reach a consensus on whether the Palestinians should resume stalled talks with Israel. The Arab League scheduled an extraordinary summit for later this year to tackle issues it had been unable to resolve during its two days of meetings in the Libyan city of Sirte.”
Deferring decisions is quite common at the Arab League. It has dented its influence. The issues that dominated the league’s agenda at the time of its formation were freeing those Arab countries still under colonial rule and preventing the Jewish minority in Palestine from creating a Jewish state. While Israel became a reality, the issue of Palestine remains unresolved. The Arab League faced a major jolt following the Camp David accord of 1979. Egypt was suspended from the league and its headquarters shifted from Cairo to Tunis for signing a peace treaty with Israel. However, Egypt was rehabilitated in 1987 and the Arab League headquarters returned to Cairo.
The US-led war against Iraq in 2003 was another testing time for the league. While some members backed the war, others opposed it and yet some others sat on the fence. Similarly, during the Cold War some members were Soviet-oriented while others fell within the Western camp. There has been rivalry over leadership, notably between Egypt and Iraq.
Though on contentious political issues cooperation among Arab League members has been more strained, there have been instances when they presented a united stand. In 2002, they came together to support a peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians floated by Saudi Arabia. It called for Israeli withdrawal from all lands occupied after the 1967 war and a “just settlement” of the question of Palestinian refugees, meaning their right of return. In return, the Arab countries promised to recognize Israel and open normal relations. The plan remains the formal bargaining position of the league’s members, even as they have disagreed over other aspects of the conflict.
Similarly, on the issue of Sudan, league leaders rallied around President Omar Bashir vowing to protect him from an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Amr Moussa, the charismatic secretary general of the Arab League, said before an annual summit got under way that the member states would continue their “efforts to halt the implementation of the warrant.”
An Arab News editorial of March 27, 2009 reflected the mood of the Arab world. Titled “No playing with Sudan’s stability,” the editorial reads: “There is a real fear that Bashir’s arrest could violently destabilize Sudan.”
Through institutions such as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization and the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League's Council of Arab Economic Unity, the organization facilitates economic, cultural, scientific and social programs designed to promote the interests of the Arab world.
The League has served as a platform for the drafting and conclusion of many landmark documents promoting economic integration. One example is the Joint Arab Economic Action Charter, which sets out the principles for economic activities in the region.
The league has played an important role in shaping school curricula, advancing the role of women in Arab societies, promoting child welfare, encouraging youth and sports programs, preserving Arab cultural heritage, and fostering cultural exchanges between member states. Literacy campaigns have been launched, intellectual works reproduced and modern technical terminology has been translated for use within member states. The League encourages measures against crime and drug abuse, and deals with labor issues -- particularly among the emigrant Arab workforce.
The highest body of the League is the Council, composed of representatives of member states, usually foreign ministers, their representatives or permanent delegates. Each member state has one vote, irrespective of its size. The council meets twice a year, in March and September, and may convene a special session at the request of two members.
Day-to-day, the League is run by the general secretariat. Headed by a secretary-general, it is the administrative body of the league and the executive body of the council and the specialized ministerial councils.
Amr Moussa, its secretary-general since 2001, is a former foreign minister of Egypt and popular across the Arab world. The secretary-general is nominated by at least two member states and appointed by the council by a two-thirds majority for a five-year renewable term.
