- Also called:
- League of Arab States (LAS)
- Arabic:
- Al-Jāmiʿah al-ʿArabiyyah or Al-Jāmiʿah al-Duwal al-ʿArabiyyah
- Date:
- March 22, 1945 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- Culture
- economic growth
- social change
- defense
Arab League
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What is the Arab League?
The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa that was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945, as an outgrowth of Pan-Arabism.
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 founding member states were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
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When and why was the Arab League formed?
The Arab League, a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa, was formed in Cairo on March 22, 1945, as an outgrowth of Pan-Arabism.
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.
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Which countries are members of the Arab League?
The Arab League, established in Cairo on March 22, 1945, is a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa anchor text.
The founding members were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Additional members include Libya (1953); Sudan (1956); Tunisia and Morocco (1958); Kuwait (1961); Algeria (1962); Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (1971); Mauritania (1973); Somalia (1974); the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; 1976); Djibouti (1977); and Comoros (1993).
Each member has one vote on the League Council, but decisions are binding only on those states that have voted for them.
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What are the main goals or aims of the Arab League?
The Arab League, established in 1945, seeks to bolster collaboration among member states in political, cultural, economic, and social spheres, and to resolve disputes. An agreement in 1950 emphasized coordinated military defense.
Initially, the League focused on economic and cultural initiatives, holding the first Arab petroleum congress in 1959 and forming the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) in 1964. Despite internal divisions, particularly regarding Israel and the Palestinians, political activity increased under Secretary-General Mahmoud Riad (1972–79).
The League faced challenges during events such as the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the Arab Spring in the 2010s, adapting to regional changes and addressing conflicts. Despite efforts to promote Arab integration, political differences and economic policies have sometimes hindered cooperation and trade among member states. The Council of Arab Economic Unity was established to promote economic integration and freedom of movement for labor, capital, and services.
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How does the Arab League make decisions among its members?
Within the Arab League, each member state has one vote in the League Council. Decisions made by the council are binding only to those states that voted in favor. The Arab League was formed in 1945 with the primary goals to coordinate political, cultural, economic, and social programs of its members and to mediate disputes. The Council of Arab Economic Unity was established to achieve economic integration and promote freedom of movement for labor, capital, and services.
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What are some major achievements or actions taken by the Arab League in recent history?
The Arab League strives to coordinate political, cultural, economic, and social programs for its members and resolve disputes. Some of its major actions and achievements include:
- Arab Peace Initiative: In 2002, the Arab League endorsed a proposal for Arab states to recognize Israel in exchange for an independent Palestinian state. While this initiative sought to restart stalled negotiations, it did not lead to a resolution, and some Arab states have since established ties with Israel outside of its framework.
- Response to the Arab Spring: During the Arab Spring uprisings, the Arab League suspended Libya's participation in 2011 and supported a no-fly zone. Amid violence in Syria, the league also suspended Syria's participation in late 2011, but reinstated it in 2023 as the conflict subsided.
- Human Rights Charter: The Arab League adopted the Arab Charter on Human Rights in 2004, which affirms principles from the International Bill of Human Rights. However, it has been criticized for limitations, such as not prohibiting cruel punishments and allowing restrictions on freedoms exceeding international standards.
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Arab League, 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 founding member states were Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Other members are Libya (1953); Sudan (1956); Tunisia and Morocco (1958); Kuwait (1961); Algeria (1962); Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (1971); Mauritania (1973); Somalia (1974); the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; 1976); Djibouti (1977); and Comoros (1993). (When Yemen was a divided country, from 1967 to 1990, the two regimes were separately represented.) 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.
In its early years the Arab League concentrated mainly on economic, cultural, and social programs. In 1959 it held the first Arab petroleum congress and in 1964 established the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO). Also in 1964, despite objections by Jordan, the league granted the PLO observer status as the representative of all Palestinians. This was upgraded to full membership in 1976.
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Under the leadership of Mahmoud Riad, the third secretary-general (1972–79), political activity increased. The league, however, was weakened by internal dissension on political issues, especially those concerning Israel and the Palestinians. After Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel on March 26, 1979, the other members of the Arab League voted to suspend Egypt’s membership and to transfer the league’s headquarters from Cairo to Tunis. Egypt was reinstated as a member of the Arab League in 1989, and the league’s headquarters returned to Cairo in 1990.
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. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Djibouti, and Somalia endorsed the presence of foreign troops in Saudi Arabia, and all but the last three had some degree (however slight) of military involvement in the war.
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 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. Libya’s participation in the Arab League was reinstated in August under the representation of the Transitional National Council (TNC) after Qaddafi was overthrown. Meanwhile, as the 2011 uprising in Syria grew increasingly violent, the Arab League reached an agreement with the Syrian government in November to end its bloody 10-month campaign against peaceful protesters in Syria. 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. The suspension remained in effect throughout 12 years of civil war; in 2023, with the conflict largely confined to Syria’s northwest region, the government of Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad was reinstated to the Arab League.