Arab League

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League of Arab States
جامعة الدول العربية
Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya
HeadquartersCairo1
Official languages Arabic
Membership
Leaders
 -  Arab League Secretariat Nabil el-Araby
 -  Arab Parliament Nabih Berri
Legislature Arab Parliament
Establishment
 -  Alexandria Protocol 22 March 1945 
Area
 -  Total area 13,333,296 km2 (2nd2)
5,148,048 sq mi 
Population
 -  2009 estimate 360,029,936 (3rd2)
 -  Density 24.33/km2
63/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2009 estimate
 -  Total $2.766 trillion[1]
 -  Per capita $7,682[citation needed]
GDP (nominal) 2009 estimate
 -  Total 1.526 trillion[citation needed]
 -  Per capita $4,239[citation needed]
Currency
Time zone (UTC+0 to +4)
Website
(Arabic) http://arableagueonline.org
1. From 1979 to 1989: Tunis, Tunisia
2. If ranked among nation states.

The Arab League officially called the League of Arab States, is a regional organization of Arab states in Southwest Asia, and North and Northeast 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. The Arab League currently has 22 members.

The main goal of the league is to:[2]

“ 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. ”

Through institutions such as the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO) and the Economic and Social Council of the Arab League's Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU), the Arab League facilitates political, economic, cultural, scientific and social programs designed to promote the interests of the Arab world.[3][4] It has served as a forum for the member states to coordinate their policy positions, to deliberate on matters of common concern, to settle some Arab disputes, and to limit conflicts such as the 1958 Lebanon crisis. 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.

Each member state has one vote in the League Council, while decisions are binding only for 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. Furthermore, the signing of an agreement on Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation on April 13, 1950 committed the signatories to coordination of military defense measures.

The Arab league has played an important role in shaping school curricula, advancing the role of women in the Arab societies, promoting child welfare, encouraging youth and sports programs, preserving Arab cultural heritage, and fostering cultural exchanges between the member states. reference required Literacy campaigns have been launched, intellectual works reproduced, and modern technical terminology is translated for the use within member states. The league encourages measures against crime and drug abuse, and deals with labor issues—particularly among the emigrant Arab workforce.

References

  1. ↑ MENAFN (28 December 2009). Qatar, UAE, wealthiest Arab states. Retrieved on 26 July 2010.
  2. ↑ Pact of the League of Arab States, March 22, 1945. The Avalon Project. Yale Law School (1998). Retrieved on 2008-07-09.
  3. ↑ The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO).
  4. ↑ Ashish K. Vaidya, Globalization, (ABC-CLIO: 2006), p.525
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