Context:
The Arab League recently called for UN peacekeeping forces in the Palestinian territories during a summit in Bahrain’s Manama.
Relevance:
GS II International Relations
About the Arab League
Overview:
- Name: Arab League, also known as the League of Arab States (LAS).
- Region: Middle East and parts of Africa.
Formation:
- Date: March 22, 1945.
- Location: Cairo, Egypt.
- Purpose: Address postwar colonial divisions and oppose the emergence of a Jewish state on Palestinian territory.
Goals:
- Promote Arab Interests: Strengthening political, cultural, economic, and social programs among member states.
- Dispute Resolution: Settling disputes among member states or between members and third parties.
- Military Support: Members agreed in 1950 to provide mutual military support.
Structure:
- Headquarters: Cairo, Egypt.
- Official Language: Arabic.
Members:
- Founding Members: Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
- Later Members: Libya, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Kuwait, Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Somalia, the Palestine Liberation Organization, Djibouti, and Comoros.
- Observer Status Nations: Brazil, Eritrea, India, and Venezuela.
- Palestine: Regarded as an independent state by the League.
Council:
- Composition: Representatives from member states, typically foreign ministers or their delegates.
- Decision Making: Decisions are made on a majority basis, but there is no enforcement mechanism for resolutions.
- Voting: Each member has one vote, and decisions bind only those states that vote for them.
-Source: Hindustan Times
