Arab League’s Overall Structure & Main Organizations

The Overall Structure of the Arab League

The Arab League, officially known as the League of Arab States, is a regional organization of 22 member states whose peoples are mainly Arabic speaking. Its main purpose is to strengthen ties among member states, coordinate their policies and direct them towards the common good. The Arab League was officially founded in Cairo in 1945 by the signing of the formal declaration entitled the “Charter of the League of Arab States” by Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan (Jordan, as of 1950), and Yemen. Countries that later joined are:

The supreme organ of the Arab League is its council, made up of all the member states with each state having one vote. Unanimous council decisions are binding on all members. Majority decisions are binding only on those members who accepted them. The council convenes twice annually, in March and September. The day-to-day running of the Arab League affairs is entrusted to the general secretariat. Headed by a secretary-general, the general secretariat is the administrative body of the league and the executive body of the council.

Main Organizations:

The Council of the League

1. The Joint Defence Council
2. The Economic and Social Council
3. The General Secretariat

• General Department of the Bureau of the Secretary-General
• General Department for International Affairs
• General Department for Arab Affairs
• General Department for Palestine Affairs
• General Department for Information Affairs
• General Department for Economic Affairs
• General Department for Social and Cultural Affairs
• General Department for Legal Affairs
• General Department for Military Affairs
• General Department for Administrative Affairs
• Internal Audit Unit
• Institutional Development Unit
• Documentation and Information Center
• Principal Bureau for Boycott of Israel- in Damascus
• Arab League Center in Tunis City
• Arab Centre for Legal and Judicial Research/Beirut