The League of Arab States, commonly known as the Arab League, is an intergovernmental organization of independent Arab states. It is the first such regional organization. The first discussion on establishing a form of common Arab cooperation or union was initiated by Egypt with Syria and Iraq, followed by consultation with other newly independent Arab states. After an initial meeting in 1944 and the approval of what is known as the Alexandria Declaration, the Arab League Charter was officially adopted in 1945 by seven newly independent Arab states: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (which became Jordan in 1946), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and North Yemen (which became Yemen after its unification with South Yemen). Today the Arab League has 22 member states. Its headquarters are in Cairo, Egypt. Summits and meetings of various ministerial councils, as well as other meetings, may be held in other locations. Taken from Open Society Foundations’ Manual
Introduction
The League Of Arab States (Video Below)
The Arab League – Council on Foreign Relations
League of Arab States – International Democracy Watch
The Arab League: Its Origin, Purposes, Structure and Activities – The Arab Information Center
The Arab League Up Close
Arab League summit: Can it bring peace to the region? (Video Below)
Can the Arab League solve the region’s problems? – Al Jazeera (Video)
Q&A: Whatever happened to the Arab League? – Al Jazeera (Interview)
The League of Arab States: Human Rights Standards and Mechanisms – Open Society Foundations
Regional Organizations and Sanctions Against Members: Explaining the Different Trajectories of the
African Union, the League of Arab States, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Elin Hellquist, KFG Working Paper Series at Free University Berlin
An Arab NATO in the making? Middle Eastern Security Cooperation since 2011 – Florence Gaub, Security Studies Institute
The Arab Peace Initiative: Why Now? – Gabrielle Rifkind, Oxford Research Group
The Arab Peace Initiative: Reversing the Direction – Kobi Michael, Institute for National Security Studies, Tel Aviv University
The Return of the Arab Peace Initiative – Yossi Alpher, Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
Nothing But Failure? The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council as Mediators in Middle Eastern Conflicts – Marco Pinfari, Crisis States Research Centre Working Paper, LSE
The Arab League Comes Alive – Bruce Maddy-Weitzmann, Middle East Initiative
The League of Arab States in the Wake of the Arab Spring– Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Important Documents
The Alexandria Protocol; October 7,1944
Pact of the League of Arab States, 1945
The Khartoum Resolutions; September 1, 1967
Arab Charter on Human Rights (Adopted 1994)
Member States
Algeria
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria
Bahrain
Foreign Policy of Bahrain
Comoros
Government of Comoros (in French)
Djibouti
Government of Djibouti (in French)
Egypt
Government of Egypt
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt
Egypt and the Arab League
Iraq
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq
Jordan
Government of Jordan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan
Kuwait
Government of Kuwait
Lebanon
Government of Lebanon
Libya
A Quick Guide to Libya’s Main Players
Libyan Websites (Temehu)
Mauretania
Government of Mauritania (in French)
Morocco
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Morocco
Oman
Government of Oman
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman
Palestine
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine
Fatah – International Relations Commission
Hamas
Hamas and Fatah: How are the two groups different? – Zena Tahhan, Aljazeera
Arab League summit: The organisation’s long history with the Palestinian cause – Naser Al Wasmi, The National
Qatar
Government of Qatar
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Government of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia
Somalia
Somalia country profile – BBC
Sudan
Sudan Country Profile – BBC
Sudan: Government – globalEDGE
Syria
Syria country profile – BBC
National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces
Tunisia
Government of Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Government of the United Arab Emirates
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE
Yemen
Government of Yemen (in Arabic)
External Relations
EU-Leauge of Arab States Relations: Prospects for Closer Parliamentary Cooperation (Policy Briefing) – European Parliament
NATO and the Arab League: The Importance of Being Earnest – Mona El-Kouedi, Research Paper at NATO Defense College
Awakening Interregionalism? The EU and Regional Arab Organizations Post-2011 – Sally Khalifa Isaac, GR:EEN Working Paper Series
The Arab League Boycott and WTO Accession: Can Foreign Policy Excuse Discriminatory Sanctions? – Eugene Kantorovich, Chicago Journal of International Law
Arab League Boycott of Israel – Martin A. Weiss, CRS Report for Congress
Arab League Condemns US Jerusalem Move – Al Jazeera
Current Issues
Turkish PM slams Israel at the Arab League (Video Below)
Syria, Palestinian unity top Arab league summit agenda (Video Below)
Arab League to lobby UN to recognize Palestinian state (Video Below)
Restoring Stability in a Turbulent Middle East: A Perspective From the League of Arab States (Video Below)
Arab League Urged to Sue Israel at ICC – Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia Tries to Unite Arab World Against Iran – Haaretz
Arab League to Discuss Israeli Massacre in Gaza – The Jerusalem Post
Further Reading on E-International Relations
- Online Resources – Union for the Mediterranean
- Online Resources – The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
- Online Resources – Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- Online Resources – Mercosur
- Online Resources – Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- Online Resources – The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
