Mauritania hosts its first Arab summit
Chronology of previous summits
KUWAIT: The 27th Arab Summit, that kicks off in Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott today and lasts for two days, is the first the West African country hosts in history. The 27th Arab leaders’ summit was originally set to be held in Morocco, but the Kingdom apologized for not hosting the major annual event, for the lack of “objective circumstances that guarantee a successful Arab summit.” Mauritania soon offered to host the summit.The Nouakchott summit comes amid various challenges and crises facing several countries in the Arab region; namely the war on terror and the situation in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. The following is a chronology of previous Arab summits:
Palestine
The Anshas Extraordinary Summit in Alexandria, Egypt was held on May 28 and 29, 1946 in support of Palestine. It was attended by seven Arab states. Participants in the summit prioritized the Palestinian cause, and warned of a Zionist threat, and stressed that any developments in Palestine will affect all Arab nations.
A decade later, November 1956, the Beirut Extraordinary Summit was held to address the Tripartite Aggression, the British-French-Israeli attack on Egypt. It was attended by nine Arab leaders who emphasized Egypt’s sovereignty over the Suez Canal according to the October 13, 1956 UN Security Council resolution 1888. The leaders hailed the Algerian people’s struggle to attain independence.
Then the 1st Regular Arab Summit was held in Cairo in January, 1964, calling for dissolving disagreements among the Arab states, establishing a joint military command for Arab armies, and considering Israel a danger that threatens the Arab nation. Then the 2nd Regular summit was held in Egypt’s Mediterranean city of Alexandria, September 5 to 11, 1964. It called for boosting the Arab military defense capabilities, as well as enhancing the Arab cooperation in the fields of nuclear research for peaceful purposes, economy, culture, and media. It also urged the establishment of an Arab court of justice and welcomed the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The 3rd Regular summit was held in Casablanca, Morocco, September 13 to 17, 1965, calling for the support of the Palestinian cause in all international forums. The Arab leaders also called for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and dissolving international conflicts peacefully. The summit witnessed the signing of the Arab Solidarity Charter.
1967 War
The 4th Regular Arab Summit took place in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on August 29, 1967 following the Israeli 1967 War. The Arab leaders then announced the three Nos; no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel. They also agreed to establish Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD).
On September 23, 1969, the 5th Regular Arab Summit was held in Rabat, but was adjourned without making any resolutions. The 3rd Extraordinary Arab Summit was held in Cairo on September 27, 1970 to dissolve a Palestinian-Jordanian conflict.
The 6th Regular Arab Summit was held from November 26 to 28, 1973 in Algeria and demanded the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories including Jerusalem. It also called for giving the Palestinian people their legal rights. The summit welcomed Mauritania’s joining the Arab League.
The 7th Regular Arab Summit, held in Rabat, Morocco, October 26-29, 1974, stressed the importance of liberating all Arab territories seized in the June 1967 attack, as well as rejecting all that might affect Arab sovereignty over Jerusalem. The summit acknowledged the PLO as the only legal representative of the Palestinian people. Saudi Arabia called for a mini extraordinary Arab summit in support of Lebanon. The summit, held in Riyadh on October 1618, 1976 with the participation of six Arab states, rejected the division of Lebanon and called for reconstruction in the country. The 8th Regular Arab Summit convened in Cairo on October 25- 26, 1976. It approved the resolutions made by the Riyadh summit and urged the Arab states to contribute to the reconstruction of Lebanon.
Camp David agreement
The 9th summit, held in Baghdad from November 2 to 5, 1978, reiterated support to the PLO and rejected the Israeli-Egyptian Camp David agreement, saying it opposed the resolutions made by the Arab summits. The Arab leaders agreed to boycott Egypt and to temporarily freeze its membership in Arab League. They also decided to transfer the Arab League’s headquarters from Egypt to Tunisia. The 10th Regular Arab Summit was held in Tunis, November 20- 22, 1979. The Arab leaders condemned once again the Camp David agreement and the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement. They called for consolidating relations with then the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and other organizations. The summit stressed Lebanon’s full sovereignty on all its territories, and the importance of preserving its national unity and independence, rejecting Zionist efforts to seize the southern part of the country. The 11th Regular Arab Summit, held in the Jordanian capital of Amman, November 25-27, 1980, approved a joint Arab action program for facing Israel. It also okayed the Arab National Economic Charter. The Moroccan city of Fes hosted the 12th Regular Summit, held on two phases, the first on November 25, 1981 while the second was on September 6-9, 1982. The summit approved King Fahd’s project for peace in the Middle East, which offered an Arab project for peace. The Arab leaders taking part in the Summit denounced the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, reaffirming support to the country regarding the implementation of the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions which demanded Israel’s withdrawal to the internationally-acknowledged borders.
Iraq-Iran war
Casablanca, Morocco hosted the 4th Extraordinary Arab Summit on August 7-9, 1985, which reiterated full commitment to the Arab Solidarity Charter, forming two committees to clear the Arab atmosphere. The summit emphasized a strong will to put a rapid end to the Iraq-Iran war through a peaceful, just, and honorable solution. The participants also denounced all forms and sources of terrorism, topped by Israel’s terrorism in and outside the Arab occupied territories. The 5th Extraordinary Arab Summit was held in Amman on November 8-11, 1987, as the Arab leaders denounced Iran’s occupation of Iraqi areas and expressed full support to Iraq in defending its soil. The summit also condemned Iran’s aggression against Kuwait, calling for guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Arabian Gulf. In addition, the Amman Summit declared support to Saudi Arabia and whatever measures the Kingdom took for securing safe performance of Hajj, condemning any acts of riot at the Holy Sites. The Arab leaders denounced anew all forms and sources of terrorism, rejecting attempts to stigmatize national liberation movements as terrorism. They also backed a proposed international conference for the Middle East peace under the UN umbrella. On June 7-9, 1988, the 6th Extraordinary Summit was held in Algiers, calling for full support to the Palestinian Intifada (Uprising). It also called for organizing the proposed international conference for peace in the region under the UN umbrella, taking international legitimacy and the UN resolution as references. Casablanca hosted the 7th Extraordinary Arab Summit on May 23-26, 1989, welcoming Egypt’s full-membership return to the Arab League. It reiterated support to establishing an independent Palestinian State, urging the world to recognize it and allow it to practice sovereignty over the Palestinian territories. The summit urged the conflicting Lebanese parties to fully and permanently abide by a ceasefire agreement. The Iraqi capital of Baghdad was host to the 8th Extraordinary Arab Summit, May 28-30, 1990, which called for backing the Palestinian Intifada and condemned the Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine. As for Lebanon, the Baghdad summit reaffirmed that Al-Taef Agreement was the framework likely to maintain the interests of all Lebanese people, as the only way to avoid violence and to achieve peace and stability in the country. The summit also denounced the US threats against Libya, and the UN Congress’s resolution recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Iraqi Invasion
In the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, Cairo hosted the 9th Extraordinary Summit, August 9-10, 1990, which condemned the aggression and its consequences. The summit emphasized Kuwait’s sovereignty and, at the same time, denounced Iraq’s threats to the rest of GCC states. Arab countries responded to demands by Saudi Arabia and decided to send troops to defend the Kingdom and the region.
The Egyptian capital again hosted the 10th Extraordinary Summit, June 21-23, 1996 which in principle, approved setting up an Arab Court of Justice. It entrusted the Arab Economic and Social Council, an affiliate of the Arab League, to take the necessary steps for setting up an Arab free trade zone. The summit urged the continuation of the Middle East peace process as a strategic goal and choice based on the Madrid Conference. It demanded that Israel join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as well as making the Middle East region free of weapons of mass destruction.
The 11th Extraordinary Summit was held in Cairo October 21-22, 2000, upon a call by Saudi Arabia to work out mechanisms to support the Palestinian cause and to maintain the Arab and Islamic identity of Al-Quds. The summiteers established Al-Quds Fund with a capital of $200 million, and to support the families and dependents of those killed in the Palestinian uprising. Al-Aqsa Fund was also founded with $800 million for projects to preserve the Arab and Islamic identity of Al-Quds, and to back the Palestinian economy and reduce dependency on Israel in this respect.
With t the start of the new millennium, the 13th Regular Arab Summit was held in Amman in March 27-28, 2001. Summiteers then asserted solidarity with the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights. The Summit also reiterated the UAE’s sovereignty over the three islands, the Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Mousa, and supported the procedures and peaceful measures taken by the UAE to regain its sovereignty over them.
Arab Peace Initiative
The 14th Regular Arab Summit was held in Beirut on March 27-28, 2002. A peace initiative proposed by King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz for the Middle East was adopted and dubbed the “Arab Peace Initiative.” The Summit urged support with worth $ 330 million to the Palestinian Authority over six months. Participants also called for an extra $150 million to be allocated for the Al-Aqsa and Intifadha Funds to assist development in Palestine. The Summit supported Lebanon’s efforts to liberate territories occupied by Israel, including the Shebaa Farms. It also condemned Israel’s occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights. The conferees renewed their denouncement of all forms of terrorism. They urged Turkey to reach a final agreement on water-sharing regarding the Euphrates and Tigris River waters with Syria and Iraq. The 15th Regular Arab Summit took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on March 1, 2003. The Arab leaders then asserted their condemnation of using force against Iraq and threatening the security of any Arab nation.
On March 22-23, 2004 the 16th Regular Arab Summit was held in Tunisia, and condemned continued Israeli violence against the Palestinian people and government. It reaffirmed support for Lebanon’s fight to liberate areas occupied by Israel, including the Shebaa Farms. During the summit, the leaders pledged to pursue reform and modernization in their countries by consolidating democratic practices and increasing participation in political and public life. They reaffirmed their stance against terrorism.
The 17th Regular Arab Summit was held in the Algeria, March 22-23, 2005. The leaders reiterated their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, and condemned Israel’s continued construction of a separation barrier. They reaffirmed the ICJ’s decision in this regard. The leaders affirmed their solidarity with Syria and condemned the US Syria Accountability Act, which they considered a violation of international law and UN resolutions. The Summit reiterated its stance against terrorism and praised the outcome of the International Terrorism Conference held in Riyadh a month earlier. In Khartoum, Sudan, where the 18th Regular Summit was held March 28-29, 2006, the major theme on the agenda was the situation in Palestinian . The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative; which also happened again during the 19th Arab Summit that took place in Riyadh on March 28, 2007. The 20th Arab Summit took place in Damascus, Syria on March 29-30, 2008, and reiterated support for communications between the United Arab Emirates and Iran to resolve the issue over UAE’s peacefully. Meanwhile, the 21st Arab Summit, held in Doha, Qatar on March 30, 2009, supported Sudan and rejected the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Sudanese President Omar Al-Basheer. Arab countries’ support for Sudan was renewed during the 22nd Arab Summit, held in Sirte, Libya on March 27-28, 2010.
Syrian crisis
The 23rd summit, held in Baghdad, Iraq on March 29, 2012, called for dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition, while the 24th summit, held in Doha, Qatar on March 26, 2013, recognized the National Coalition as the legitimate representative for the Syrian people. The 25th summit, hosted by Kuwait on March 25-26, 2014, called for finding solutions necessary for the critical situations that the Arab World is going through, and supported Arab nations that went through political transitions. Meanwhile, the 26th Arab Summit, held in Sharm El-Sheikh on March 28-29, 2015 saw a decision to form a joint Arab military force to ‘protect the Arab national security.’ —KUNA