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{{Infobox geopolitical organisation
| conventional_long_name = League of Arab States
| native_name            = {{unbulleted list |{{big|جامعة الدول العربية}} |''{{transl|ar|Jāmiʻat ad-Duwal al-ʻArabiyya}}''}}
| linking_name           = the Arab League
| image_flag             = Flag of the League of Arab States.svg
| image_map              = Arab League (orthographic projection) updated.svg
| map_width              = 260px <!--260px prevents template self-resizing if/when collapsible lists shown-->
| symbol_type            = Emblem
| image_symbol           = Emblem of the Arab League.svg
| admin_center           = [[Cairo]]<sup>a</sup>
| membership             = {{collapsible list
  |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
  |title = 22 members
  |liststyle = text-align:left;white-space:nowrap;
  |{{flagcountry|Algeria}} |{{flagcountry|Bahrain}} |{{flagcountry|Comoros}} |{{flagcountry|Djibouti}} |{{flagcountry|Egypt}} |{{flagcountry|Iraq}} |{{flagcountry|Jordan}} |{{flagcountry|Kuwait}} |{{flagcountry|Lebanon}} |{{flagcountry|Libya}} |{{flagcountry|Mauritania}} |{{flagcountry|Morocco}} |{{flagcountry|Oman}} |{{flagcountry|State of Palestine}} |{{flagcountry|Qatar}} |{{flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}} |{{flagcountry|Somalia}} |{{flagcountry|Sudan}} |{{flagcountry|Syria}}&nbsp;<sup>b</sup> | {{flagcountry|Tunisia}} |{{flagcountry|United Arab Emirates}} |{{flagcountry|Yemen}}
}}
| official_languages     = {{unbulleted list |[[Arabic language|Arabic]]}}
| leader_title1          = [[Secretary-General of the Arab League|Arab League Secretariat]]
| leader_name1           = [[Ahmed Aboul Gheit]]
| leader_title2          = [[Speaker of the Arab Parliament|Arab Parliament]]
| leader_name2           = [[Ali Al-Daqbaashi]]
| leader_title3          = [[Council of the Arab League|Council Presidency]]
| leader_name3           = {{flagcountry|Lebanon}}
| legislature            = [[Arab Parliament]]
| established_event1     = [[Alexandria Protocol]]
| established_date1      = 22 March 1945
| area_label             = Total area
| area_km2               = 13333296
| area_sq_mi             = 5148048
| area_label2            = 
| population_estimate    = 400,652,486
| population_estimate_year = 2012
| population_density_km2 = 24.33
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| GDP_PPP                = $4.766 trillion<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?storyid=1093292067 |title=Qatar, UAE, wealthiest Arab states |author=MENAFN |publisher= |date=28 December 2009 |accessdate=26 July 2010 |archive-date=26 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526150557/http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?storyid=1093292067 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2011
| GDP_PPP_per_capita     = $11895
| GDP_nominal            = {{reference necessary|date=January 2011|text=$3.526 trillion}}
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2011
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{reference necessary|date=January 2011|text=$4,239}}
| Gini_year              = 
| Gini_change            = <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| Gini                   = <!--number only-->
| Gini_ref               = 
| HDI_year               = 
| HDI_change             = <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI                    = <!--number only-->
| HDI_ref                = 
| currency               = {{collapsible list
  |titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
  |title = 21 currencies
  |liststyle = text-align:left;white-space:nowrap;
  | {{small|([[ISO 4217]] in brackets)}}
  | {{small|(DZB)}} [[Algerian dinar]]
  | {{small|(BHD)}} [[Bahraini dinar]]
  | {{small|(KMF)}} [[Comorian franc]]
  | {{small|(DJF)}} [[Djiboutian franc]]
  | {{small|(EGP)}} [[Egyptian pound]]
  | {{small|(IQD)}} [[Iraqi dinar]]
  | {{small|(JOD)}} [[Jordanian dinar]]
  | {{small|(KWD)}} [[Kuwaiti dinar]]
  | {{small|(LBP)}} [[Lebanese pound]]
  | {{small|(LYD)}} [[Libyan dinar]]
  | {{small|(MRO)}} {{small|[[Mauritanian ouguiya]]}}
  | {{small|(MAD)}} [[Moroccan dirham]]
  | {{small|(OMR)}} [[Omani rial]]
  | {{small|(QAR)}} [[Qatari riyal]]
  | {{small|(SAR)}} [[Saudi riyal]]
  | {{small|(SOS)}} [[Somali shilling]]
  | {{small|(SDD)}} [[Sudanese pound]]
  | {{small|(SYP)}} [[Syrian pound]]
  | {{small|(TND)}} [[Tunisian dinar]]
  | {{small|(AED)}} [[United Arab Emirates dirham|UAE dirham]]
  | {{small|(YER)}} [[Yemeni rial]]
}}
| time_zone              = 
| utc_offset             = +0 to +4
| official_website       = {{URL|www.lasportal.org/}}
| footnote_a             = From 1979 to 1989, [[Tunis]], [[Tunisia]].
| footnote_b             = Reinstated on May 7, 2023.
}} {{Politics of the Arab world}}

'''The Arab League''' is an organization made up of countries in the [[Arab world]] in Northern [[Africa]] and Southwest [[Asia]]. Most, though not all of these countries use [[Arabic language|Arabic]] as their [[official language]]. The purpose is to find ways for the countries to have unity and to work together to solve their problems.

== Background (1900 - 1945) ==
The Arab League, a regional organisation, finds its roots in two distinctive influences: Arab nationalism (or Arab nationalist movement), and British government support.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|date=February 1995|title=Bruce Maddy-Weitzman. &lt;italic&gt;The Crystallization of the Arab State System, 1945–1954&lt;/italic&gt;. (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East.) Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, with the cooperation of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Tel Aviv University. 1993. Pp. xvi, 253. Cloth $39.94, paper $18.95|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/ahr/100.1.198|journal=The American Historical Review|doi=10.1086/ahr/100.1.198|issn=1937-5239}}</ref>

=== Arab Nationalism and Colonialism ===
The Arab Nationalism represent both a movement that seek the unity of Arab territories in the Arab wolrd and express a rejection of the [[Ottoman Empire]] domination. This domination limited the sovereignty of these countries in the region. However, '''in the beginning of the twentieth century''', the control of the Ottoman Empire was facing the rising power control of colonial powers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|date=February 1995|title=Bruce Maddy-Weitzman. The Crystallization of the Arab State System, 1945–1954. (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East.) Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, with the cooperation of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, Tel Aviv University. 1993. Pp. xvi, 253. Cloth $39.94, paper $18.95|url=https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article-lookup/doi/10.1086/ahr/100.1.198|journal=The American Historical Review|language=en|doi=10.1086/ahr/100.1.198|issn=1937-5239}}</ref> Both France and Great Britain, by the [[Sykes–Picot Agreement|Skyes-Picot agreement]],  enforced their domination over each of their mandates (Syra and Lebanon for France, Iraq and Palestine for Great Britain). This partition prevented the evolution of Arab nationalist movement by dismantling the region and creating tensions between the countries.<ref name=":0" />

'''In the second half of the 1930s''', two groups emerged around the question of Arab unification. The 'maximalists' (Syria, Iraq, Transjordan) saw a link between unity and "nation" as way to erase the legacies of colonialism. In opposition, the 'minimalists' (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Lebanon) expressed a strong rejection for unification but rather a regional association that will push toward political, cultural, and economic cooperation without impact on their state sovereignty.<ref name=":1" /> In reaction, [[Pan-Arabism|pan-Arab]] conferences emerged regarding regional issues such as the Palestine situation.

=== Decolonisation and Unification ===
'''Before Wolrd War II''', Great Britain supported regional actions initiated by Syrian, Lebanese and Iraqi leaders. This support appeared to undermine French influence on its own mandate.<ref name=":2">{{Citation|last=MacDonald|first=Robert W.|title=CHAPTER 2. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARAB LEAGUE|date=2015-12-08|url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781400875283-004/html|pages=33–50|publisher=Princeton University Press|language=en|doi=10.1515/9781400875283-004|isbn=978-1-4008-7528-3|access-date=2023-05-16}}</ref>

'''In 1943''', Nuri al-Said, former Prime Minister of Iraq under the British mandate, called for an union between Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. This union called Arab League would be, for Nuri al-Said, a permanent council with members in charge of defense, communication, education, and the protection of minorities in the region. The Arab League appears then as a general agreement motivated by Arab nationalist movement.<ref name=":2" /> A need for collective action to solve problems in the region emerged even more.

In Egypt, '''from July 1943 to February 1944''', discussions on a programme for an 'Arab Union' between the prime minister Mostafa el-Nahhas and representatives of Arab countries take place. '''In July 1944''', the Egyptian Prime Minister calls the Arab countries' delegates to join a conference regarding the consolidation of this project. This conference takes place in Alexandria on '''September 25,1944''' with the Preparatory Comittee and discusses the organisation and the question of state sovereignty in the union. However, this discussion is unstable due to the different positions of the countries: Syria is in favor, Lebanon and Yemen calls for a different form of cooperation. Regarding this, Egypt shows a model that conciliate both side by confirming the maintain of state sovereignty. This model is supported by Saudi Arabia and nuanced by Iraq that express the need of a voluntary arbitration between the members. This conference end in '''October 7, 1944''' by the denomination Alexandria Protocol. This protocol declared the agreement for the establishment of the Arab League, in the spirit of Arab nationalism. F'''rom February 14 to March 3,1945''', a commitee prepared the draft for the Pact of Arab League. In a second session, the commitee revised and approved the draft. By March 22, 1945, the commitee in the General Arab Conference signed the pact, which confirmed the creation of the Arab League.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Halderman|first=John W.|date=July 1976|title=The League of Arab States and Regional Disputes. A Study of Middle East Conflicts. By Hussein A. Hassouna. (Dobbs Ferry: Oceana Publications, Inc.; Leiden: A. W. Sijthoff, 1975. Pp. xxi, 512. Index. $25.00.)|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2200176|journal=American Journal of International Law|volume=70|issue=3|pages=613–614|doi=10.2307/2200176|jstor=2200176 |issn=0002-9300}}</ref>

==Mission==
The organization uses the Arabic Language in its summits and all official papers, although it has never been stated by the League that Arabic is the Official Language. The Arab League was founded following the [[Protocol of Alexandria]] signed in 1945 by seven Arab States: [[Egypt]], [[Lebanon]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Syria]], [[Iraq]], [[Yemen]], [[Trans-Jordan]] ([[Jordan]]). Today the League has 22 members. All countries having Arabic as an official language are among the members of the League, except for [[Israel]], [[Eritrea]] and [[Chad]] which are not members.

== Organisation ==
An international treaty called "[[the Pact of the League of Arab Sates]]" organise the Arab League. This treaty is commonly called "the Pact". It has been signed by the first seven members in 1945.

=== Members ===
The countries in the Arab League are:
* [[Egypt]] - March 22, 1945 (Founder) (suspended, 1979-1989)
* [[Iraq]] - March 22, 1945 (Founder)
* [[Jordan]] - March 22, 1945 (Founder) (entered when still using the name "Transjordan")
* [[Lebanon]] - March 22, 1945 (Founder)
* [[Saudi Arabia]] - March 22, 1945 (Founder)
* [[Syria]] - March 22, 1945 (Founder)
* [[Yemen]] - May 5, 1945 (Founder)
* [[Libya]] - March 28, 1953
* [[Sudan]] - January 19, 1956
* [[Morocco]] - October 1, 1958
* [[Tunisia]] - October 1, 1958
* [[Kuwait]] - July 20, 1961
* [[Algeria]] - August 16, 1962
* [[United Arab Emirates]] - June 12, 1971
* [[Bahrain]] - September 11, 1971
* [[Qatar]] - September 11, 1971
* [[Oman]] - September 29, 1971
* [[Mauritania]] - November 26, 1973
* [[Somalia]] - February 14, 1974
* [[Palestine]] - succeeding to the position held by the Palestine Liberation Organization since September 9, 1976
* [[Djibouti]] - April 9, 1977
* [[Comoros]] - November 20, 1993
[[File:Arab League History.svg|thumb|none]]

=== The Council ===
The Arab League main organ is the Council (article 3 of the Pact). Each state member of the organisation has a representative in the Council with one vote (article 3 of the Pact). When the Council vote on a subject, the members of the League do not have to apply the decision if they voted against it (article 7 of the Pact). The members of the Council meet [[wikt:ordinary|ordinary]] twice a year in March and in September (article 11 of the Pact). The president of the Council is one of the state. It changes every ordinary meeting.<ref name=":03">{{Cite journal|date=1992-01-01|title=Pact of the League of Arab States|url=https://brill.com/view/journals/alq/7/2/article-p148_5.xml|journal=Arab Law Quarterly|language=en|volume=7|issue=2|pages=148–152|doi=10.1163/157302592X00150|issn=1573-0255}}</ref>

=== The Secretary-General ===
The Council chooses a Secretary-General with a two-third vote.<ref name=":03"/> The Secretary-General is responsible for the administrative organisation of the meetings. Also, when the Council votes a resolution, the Secretary-General makes sure the decisions are followed by member states.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/leagueofarabstat0000hass|title=The League of Arab States and Regional Disputes|last=Hassouna|first=Hussein A.|publisher=Oceana Publications, Inc.|year=1975|location=Dobbs Ferry, New York|pages=[https://archive.org/details/leagueofarabstat0000hass/page/n462 433]-440|chapter=Appendix E: Internal regulations of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States, adopted by the League Council at its 59th session, on July 24, 1973.}}</ref>

==== List of Secretaries-General ====
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" width="100%"
!
!Secretary-General
!Birth–Death
!Took office
!Left office
!Nationality
!Photo
|-
|1
| [[Abdul Rahman Hassan Azzam|Abdul Rahman Azzam]] 
| 1893–1976
| 22 March 1945 
| September 1952
| {{Flagu|Egypt|variant=1922}}
| 
|-
|2
| [[Abdul Khalek Hassouna]] 
| 1898–1992
| September 1952
| 1 June 1972
| {{Flagu|Egypt}}
|
|-
|3
| [[Mahmoud Riad]] 
| 1917–1992
| 1 June 1972
| March 1979
| {{Flagu|Egypt}}
| [[File:Mahmoed Riad (1969).jpg|100px]]
|-
|4
| [[Chedli Klibi]] 
| 1925–2020
| March 1979
| September 1990 
| {{Flagu|Tunisia}}
| [[File:Chadli klibi (cropped).JPG|100px]]
|-
|5
| [[Ahmed Asmat Abdel-Meguid]] 
| 1924–2013
| 15 May 1991
| 15 May 2001
| {{Flagu|Egypt}}
| [[File:Ahmed Asmat Abdel-Meguid.jpg|100px]]
|-
|6
| [[Amr Moussa]] 
| b. 1936
| 15 May 2001
| 1 July 2011
| {{Flagu|Egypt}}
| [[File:Amr Moussa at the 37th G8 Summit in Deauville 054.jpg|100px]]
|-
|7
| [[Nabil Elaraby]] 
| 1935–2024
| 1 July 2011
| 3 July 2016
| {{Flagu|Egypt}}
| [[File:Nabil Elaraby.jpg|100px]]
|-
|8
| [[Ahmed Aboul Gheit]] 
| b. 1942
| 3 July 2016
| ''Incumbent''
| {{Flagu|Egypt}}
| [[File:Ahmed Aboul Gheit.jpg|100px]]
|}

=== The Joint Defense Council ===
Ministers of Defense and Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the member states compose the Joint Defense Council.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The League of Arab States: A study in the dynamics of regional organization|url=https://archive.org/details/leagueofarabstat0000macd|last=MacDonald|first=Robert W.|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1965|location=Princeton, New Jersey|pages=[https://archive.org/details/leagueofarabstat0000macd/page/n66 49]}}</ref>

== Positions on conflicts ==

=== Conflicts between countries of the Arab League ===
The members of the Arab League agree not to resolve their conflicts with force (article 3 of the Pact). If there is a conflict between two members of the Arab League, they can call for a resolution of the Council. In that case, the resolution is binding to both countries.<ref name=":03"/>

=== Israeli-Palestinian conflict ===
The Arab League is politically involved in the [[Israeli–Palestinian conflict|Israeli-Palestinian conflict]]. Even before the creation of the League, Arab countries, particularly [[Saudi Arabia]] and [[Iraq]] had discussions on lobbying in [[Washington, D.C.]] and in [[London]] to fight [[zionism]]. Saudi Arabia even declared: the "danger of Zionism is one that threatens the interests of all Arabs and Moslems."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rickenbacher|date=2020|title=The Arab League's Propaganda Campaign in the US Against the Establishment of a Jewish State (1944–1947)|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/742384|journal=Israel Studies|volume=25|issue=1|pages=5|doi=10.2979/israelstudies.25.1.01|s2cid=208688285 }}</ref>

During the [[Alexandria conference]] in 1944, the founders of the Arab League chose [[Musa Alami]] to represent the Palestinian Arabs in the conference. In the Pact, the member states declare they support to the "Arabs of Palestine" against Israel.

During a summit in Lebanon in October 1947, the League decided that Arab nations would protect Palestinian territory with their regular armies. However, the member states were not able to agree on how they would implement this decision.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Yitzhak|first=Ronen|date=2008-06-01|title=The Question of Arab Solidarity in the 1948 War: Political Interests versus Military Considerations|url=https://read.dukeupress.edu/mediterranean-quarterly/article/19/2/19/1659/The-Question-of-Arab-Solidarity-in-the-1948-War|journal=Mediterranean Quarterly|language=en|volume=19|issue=2|pages=20–23|doi=10.1215/10474552-2008-004|s2cid=153660981 |issn=1047-4552}}</ref>

In the 1964 summit in [[Cairo]], the League promoted the creation of a Palestinian entity. It led to the creation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

After the 1967 summit in [[Khartoum]], the League issued a declaration called the ''Khartoum Resolution''. It is famous for the "three noes" policy described in article 3 of the declaration.<blockquote>"(...) the framework of the main principles by which the Arab States abide, namely, '''no peace with Israel''', '''no recognition of Israel''', '''no negotiations with it''', (...)"<ref>{{Cite book|title=The contemporary Middle East: a documentary history|url=https://archive.org/details/contemporarymidd0000felt|last=Felton|first=John|date=2008|publisher=CQ Press|isbn=978-0-87289-488-4|location=Washington (D.C.)|pages=[https://archive.org/details/contemporarymidd0000felt/page/109 109]}}</ref></blockquote>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Arab League}}
{{Organisation of Islamic Cooperation}}

[[Category:International organizations]]
[[Category:Political organizations based in Asia]]
[[Category:1945 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Arab world]]
[[Category:Political organizations based in Africa]]
[[Category:North Africa]]
[[Category:West Asia]]