Arab League

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League of Arab States

Flag

Headquarters Cairo, Egypt¹
Official languages Arabic
Membership
Leaders
 -  Secretary General Amr Moussa (since 2001)
 -  Council of
the Arab League Syria
 -  Speaker of
the Arab Parliament Nabih Berri
Establishment
 -  Alexandria Protocol March 22, 1945 
Area
 -  Total area with Western Sahara 13,953,041 km² (2nd²)
5,382,910 sq mi 
 -  Area excluding Western Sahara 13,687,041 km² (5,280,291 sq mi)
Population
 -  2007 estimate 339,510,535 (3rd²)
 -  Density 24.33/km² 
63/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
 -  Total $2,604,639 million (6th²)
 -  Per capita $7,672 (92nd)
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.
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The Arab League (Arabic: الجامعة العربية‎ al-Jāmiʻa al-ʻArabiyya), officially called the League of Arab States (Arabic: جامعة الدول العربية‎ Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya), 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 and four observers. The main goal of the league is to "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."[1]

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.[2][3] 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.^{[citation needed]} 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.

Members and dates