This year the League of Arab States celebrates its establishment 80 years ago as the first regional organisation created in the aftermath of World War II. A fair assessment of its achievements as well as its failures would be appropriate in reviewing its history since then.
Let us remember in the first place that the Arab League provided strong political and material support to the Arab nations under colonial rule in its early days, thereby enabling them to become independent and join the League. In addition, under its sponsorship numerous other specialised organisations were created that enhanced cooperation among members of the League and often led to their overcoming their political differences.
Throughout its history, the Arab League has played an active role in containing many Arab crises and settling disputes among its members. This has been performed through the mediation of the League’s Council, the sending of fact-finding missions, the creation of observation forces, the deployment of Arab security forces, and the reliance on the role of the League Secretary General and his good offices.
The League has adhered to the principle of settling all internal member disputes within the League framework and through its procedures and not through outside means, thereby avoiding foreign interventions.
The Palestinian issue has always constituted a priority for Arab collective action. Special reference to Palestine was incorporated in the League’s Charter, and various bodies in support of Palestine were created, such as the Arab Office for the Economic Boycott of Israel in 1952 and the Arab Information Office in 1953.
The Arab League has also supported Palestine at the international level, widening its recognition by the United Nations. It has supported Palestine legally before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as materially by strengthening Palestinian institutions and protecting Arab Jerusalem. All this has shown that in spite of the many internal and external challenges facing the Arab states, Palestine remains a priority issue.
The Arab region has recently faced a number of challenges relating to internal crises, foreign intervention, slow economic development, overpopulation, the degradation of the environment, water shortages, and so on. But in spite of the efforts made by individual Arab states to overcome these challenges through the adoption of national reforms consistent with their own vision and national interests, there is no doubt that these efforts would have been more successful if adopted collectively in coordination with all the Arab states in the Arab League.
In reality, there are numerous factors that affect the League’s performance and efficiency. Like other international and regional organisations, it faces a number of problems, such as the lack of financial resources, the failure by member states to honour their financial commitments on time, the non-implementation of League Resolutions in spite of votes in favour, the non-adherence to agreements concluded within the League and the failure of individual states to abide by their obligations, and the absence of a consensus regarding the reform of the League and its development.
In addition, there is another important factor that affects the League’s performance and its mission – namely the absence of a unified Arab political will and the different approaches of its member states and the preference given to local interests over the common interest.
However, it is my firm belief that the challenges facing the Arab world today will lead the Arab states to alter these approaches in favour of common Arab policies that will restore peace and justice to our region.
The writer is former assistant foreign minister.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 17 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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