ARTICLE 3

The League shall possess a Council composed of the representatives of the member states of the League; each state shall have a single vote, irrespective of the number of its representatives.

It shall be the task of the Council to achieve the realization of the objectives of the League and to supervise the execution of agreements which the member states have concluded on the questions enumerated in the preceding article, or on any other questions.

It likewise shall be the Council's task to decide upon the means by which the League is to cooperate with the internatinal bodies to be created in the future in order to guarantee security and peace and regulate economic and social relations.

ARTICLE 4

For each of the questions listed in Article 2 there shall be set up a special committee in which the member states of the League shall be represented. These committees shall be charged with the task of laying down the principles and extent of cooperation. Such principles shall be formulated as draft agreements, to be presented to the Council for examination preparatory to their submission to the aforesaid states.

Representatives of the other Arab countries may take part in the work of the aforesaid committees. The Council shall determine the conditions under which these representatives may be permitted to participate and the rules governing such representation.

ARTICLE 5

Any resort to force in order to resolve disputes arising between two or more member states of the League is prohibited. If there should arise among them a difference which does not concern a state's independence, sovereignty, or territorial integrity, and if the parties to the dispute have recourse to the Council for the settlement of this difference, the decision of the Council shall then be enforceable and obligatory.

In such a case, the states between whom the difference has arisen shall not participate in the deliberations and decisions of the Council. The Council shall mediate in all differences which threaten to lead to war between two member states, or a member state and a third state, with a view to bringing about their reconciliation.

Decisions of arbitration and mediation shall be taken by majority

vote.

ARTICLE 6

In case of aggression or threat of aggression by one state against a member state, the state which has been attacked or threatened with aggression may demand the immediate convocation of the Council. The Council shall by unanimous decision determine the measures necessary to repulse the aggression. If the aggressor is a member state, his vote shall not be counted in determining unanimity.

If, as a result of the attack, the government of the state attacked finds itself unable to communicate with the Council, that state's representative in the Council shall have the right to request the

convocation of the Council for the purpose indicated in the foregoing paragraph. In the event that this representative is unable to communicate with the Council, any member state of the League shall have the right to request the convocation of the Council.

ARTICLE 7

Unanimous decisions of the Council shall be binding upon all member states of the League; majority decisions shall be binding only upon those states which have accepted them.

In either case the decisions of the Council shall be enforced in each member state according to its respective basic laws.

ARTICLE 8

Each member state shall respect the systems of government established in the other member states and regard them as exclusive concerns of those states. Each shall pledge to abstain from any action calculated to change established systems of government.

ARTICLE 9

States of the League which desire to establish closer cooperation and stronger bonds than are provided by this Pact may conclude agreements to that end.

Treaties and agreements already concluded or to be concluded in the future between a member state and another state shall not be binding or restrictive upon other members.

ARTICLE 10

The permanent seat of the League of Arab States is established in Cairo. The Council may, however, assemble at any other place it may designate.

ARTICLE 11

The Council of the League shall convene in ordinary session twice. a year, in March and in October. It shall convene in extraordinary session upon the request of two member states of the League whenever the need arises.

ARTICLE 12

The League shall have a permanent Secretariat General which shall consist of a Secretary General, Assistant Secretaries, and an appropriate number of officials.

The Council of the League shall appoint the Secretary General by a majority of two-thirds of the states of the League. The Secretary General, with the approval of the Council shall appoint the Assistant Secretaries and the principal officials of the League.

The Council of the League shall establish an administrative regulation for the functions of the Secretariat General and matters relating to the Staff.

The Secretary General shall have the rank of Ambassador and the Assistant Secretaries that of Ministers Plenipotentiary.

The first Secretary General of the League is named in an Annex to this Pact.

ARTICLE 13

The Secretary General shall prepare the draft of the budget of the League and shall submit it to the Council for approval before the beginning of each fiscal year.

The Council shall fix the share of the expenses to be borne by each state of the League. This share may be reconsidered if necessary.

ARTICLE 14

The members of the Council of the League as well as the members of the committees and the officials who are to be designated in the administrative regulation shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunity when engaged in the exercise of their functions.

The buildings occupied by the organs of the League shall be inviolable.

ARTICLE 15

The first meeting of the Council shall be convened at the invitation of the head of the Egyptian Government. Thereafter it shall be convened at the invitation of the Secretary General.

The representatives of the member states of the League shall alternately assume the presidency of the Council at each of its ordinary sessions.

ARTICLE 16

Except in cases specifically indicated in this Pact, a majority vote of the Council shall be sufficient to make enforceable decisions on the following matters:

A. Matters relating to personnel.

B. Adoption of the budget of the League.

C. Establishment of the administrative regulations for the Council, the committees, and the Secretariat General.

D. Decisions to adjourn the sessions.

ARTICLE 17

Each member state of the League shall deposit with the Secretariat General one copy of every treaty or agreement concluded or to be concluded in the future between itself and another member state of the League or a third state.

ARTICLE 18

If a member state contemplates withdrawal from the League, it shall inform the Council of its intention one year before such withdrawal is to go into effect.

The Council of the League may consider any state which fails to fulfill its obligations under this Pact as having become separated from the League, this to go into effect upon a unanimous decision of the states, not counting the state concerned.

ARTICLE 19

This Pact may be amended with the consent of two-thirds of the states belonging to the League, especially in order to make firmer and

stronger the ties between the member states, to create an Arab Tribunal of Arbitration, and to regulate the relations of the League with any international bodies to be created in the future to guarantee security and peace.

Final action on an amendment cannot be taken prior to the session following the session in which the motion was initiated.

If a state does not accept such an amendment it may withdraw at such time as the amendment goes into effect, without being bound by the provisions of the preceding article.

ARTICLE 20

This Pact and its Annexes shall be ratified according to the basic laws in force among the High Contracting Parties.

The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretariat General of the Council and the Pact shall become operative as regards each ratifying state fifteen days after the Secretary General has received the instruments of ratification from four states.

This Pact has been drawn up in Cairo in the Arabic language on this 8th day of Rabi' II, thirteen hundred and sixty-four (March 22, 1945), in one copy which shall be deposited in the safe keeping of the Secretariat General.

An identical copy shall be delivered to each state of the League. [Here follow the signatures.]

(1) ANNEX REGARDING PALESTINE

Since the termination of the last great war the rule of the Ottoman Empire over the Arab countries, among them Palestine, which had become detached from that Empire, has come to an end. She has come to be autonomous, not subordinate to any other state.

The Treaty of Lausanne proclaimed that her future was to be settled by the parties concerned.

However, even though she was as yet unable to control her own affairs, the Covenant of the League (of Nations) in 1919 made provision for a regime based upon recognition of her independence.

Her international existence and independence in the legal sense cannot, therefore, be questioned, any more than could be the independence of the other Arab countries.

Although the outward manifestations of this independence have remained obscured for reasons beyond her control, this should not be allowed to interfere with her participation in the work of the Council of the League.

The nations signatory to the Pact of the Arab League are therefore of the opinion that, considering the special circumstances of Palestine, and until that country can effectively exercise its independence, the Council of the League should take charge of the selection of an Arab representative from Palestine to take part in its work.

(2) ANNEX REGARDING COOPERATION WITH COUNTRIES WHICH ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE LEAGUE

WHEREAS the member states of the League will have to deal in the Council as well as in the committees with matters which will benefit and affect the Arab world at large;

AND WHEREAS the Council has to take into account the aspirations of the Arab countries which are not members of the Council and has to work toward their realization;

Now therefore, it particularly behooves the states signatory to the Pact of the Arab League to enjoin the Council of the League, when considering the admission of those countries to participation in the committees referred to in the Pact, that it should do its utmost to cooperate with them; and furthermore, that it should spare no effort to learn their needs and understand their aspirations and hopes; and that it should work thenceforth for their best interests and the safeguarding of their future with all the political means at its disposal. (3) ANNEX REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT OF A Secretary GENERAL OF THE LEAGUE

The states signatory to this Pact have agreed to appoint His Excellency Abd-al-Rahman 'Azzam Bey to be Secretary General of the League of Arab States.

This appointment is made for two years. The Council of the League shall hereafter determine the new regulations for the Secretariat General.

177. JOINT DEFENSE AND ECONOMIC

COOPERATION TREATY

BETWEEN THE STATES OF THE ARAB LEAGUE, APRIL 13, 1950 †

The Governments of:

H. M. THE KING OF THE HASHIMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN

H. E. THE PRESIDENT OF THE SYRIAN REPUBLIC

H. M. THE KING OF THE IRAQI KINGDOM

H. M. THE KING OF THE SAUDI ARABIAN KINGDOM

H. E. THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEBANESE REPUBLIC

H. M. THE King of the Kingdom of Egypt

H. M. THE KING OF THE KINGDOM OF YEMEN

In view of the desire of the above mentioned Governments to consolidate relations between the States of the Arab League; to maintain their independence and their mutual heritage; in accordance with the desire of their peoples, to cooperate for the realization of mutual defense and the maintenance of security and peace according to the principles of both the Arab League Pact and the United Nations Charter, together with the aims of the said Pacts; and to consolidate stability and security and provide means of welfare and development in the countries.

The following government delegates of ***, having been duly accredited and fully authorized by their respective governments, approve the following:

ARTICLE 1

The Contracting States, in an effort to maintain and stabilize peace and security, hereby confirm their desire to settle their inter

1 The Treaty was drawn up in Cairo on April 13, 1950. It was signed by Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen on June 17, 1950; by Iraq on February 2, 1951; and by Jordan on February 16, 1952. The Treaty was ratified by Syria on May 30, 1951; by Egypt on June 4, 1951; by Jordan on or about March 25, 1952, and by Iraq on March 28, 1952. In accordance with Article 13, the Treaty would come into forre in April 1952. Certain amendments and reservations of the ratifying States are not currently available. The test as here given is an unofficial translation from the Arabic.

The Middle East Journal. Spring, 1952, p. 238.