What is the Arab League?

Arab League Latest News

Recently, the External affairs minister met the foreign ministers of five Arab League member states and held discussions on ways to develop ties with West Asia and the situation in the region.

About Arab League

• The Arab League, or League of Arab States, is a voluntary association of countries whose peoples are mainly Arabic-speaking or where Arabic is an official language.
• It is a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa.
• Its stated aims are to strengthen ties among member states, coordinate their policies and direct them towards a common good.
• Formation: It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (later renamed Jordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria, with Yemen joining on 5 May 1945.
• Members: It currently has 22 member states: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
  • Observer Members: Brazil, Eritrea, India, and Venezuela.
• Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt.

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Governance of Arab League

• The highest body of the League is the Council, which is composed of representatives of each state. 
• The League makes decisions on a majority basis. The decisions are binding only on states that voted for them. 
• The General Secretariat, the administrative and executive body of the League, runs the League on a daily basis. 
• It is headed by a Secretary-General appointed by the Arab League Council every five years.

Source: HT