What is the Arab League?

Arab League Latest News

The Arab League rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza relocation plan recently, saying it is unacceptable.

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.
• 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.
  • The league was chartered in response to concerns about postwar colonial divisions of territory as well as strong opposition to the emergence of a Jewish state on Palestinian territory.
  • The main aims of the League are to strengthen relations and to coordinate collaboration between member states, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to provide collective consideration of the affairs and interests of the member states.
• Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt.
• Official language: Arabic
• 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.
• There are four nations that were conferred observer status by the League: Brazil, Eritrea, India, and Venezuela.

Arab League Organisation Structure

• The highest body of the League is the Council, which is composed of representatives of each state. 
• Each member state has one vote, irrespective of size. 
• 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. 

Arab League FAQs

Q1. Is India part of the Arab League?

Ans. Four countries have been granted observer status in the Arab League: Brazil, Eritrea, India and Venezuela.

Q2. What is the purpose of the Arab League?

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Ans. It aims at promoting peace, security and stability by preventing conflict, resolving disputes and acting in a spirit of solidarity and unity.

Q3. Where is the headquarters of the Arab League?

Ans. Cairo, Egypt.

Source: TOI