The League of Arab States, or the Arab League, was formed in Cairo on 22nd March 1945. It is a regional organization of Arab states in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Arabia. It originally consisted of 6 members – Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arab, and Syria, and was shorty joined by Yemen. Presently, the League consists of 22 members, including Palestine, which is recognised by the league as an independent state. Syria’s membership has been suspended since 2011’s Syrian Civil War.
The idea of the Arab League was first proposed in 1942 by the British, who wanted to rally Arab countries against the Axis powers. However, the League did not form until just before the end of the Second World War.
The League’s main objective 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.” Within the League, each member has one vote.
“The Arab World is writing
a new future; the pen is in
our own hands.”
–Abdullah II of Jordan