Arab Summit...Prior to Algeria Summit - 44 Regular, Emergency Summits Confronted Arab Nation's Challenges

Algiers, October 28 (QNA) - Since its establishment in 1945, the League of the Arab States has held 44 summits, before the 31st regular summit to be held by Algeria on Nov. 1-2, 2022, including 30 regular and 14 emergency summits that addressed many challenges that the Arab nation has faced, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause. The summits also addressed challenges such as the Arab Israeli conflict, ways to promote joint Arab action and integration, mechanisms for establishing a common Arab market, inter-Arab trade and its role in promoting economic integration, as well as discussing the situation in many Arab countries during regular and emergency summits. The Qatari capital, Doha, hosted three Arab summits, including an emergency summit, at a pivotal time in the history of the Arab nation, and the Doha summits took many important positions towards the Palestinian cause and Arab solidarity. At the emergency Doha summit held in January 2009, the 'Gaza Summit' called for the suspension of the Arab peace initiative, the cessation of all forms of normalization with Israel, and the establishment of a fund for the reconstruction of Gaza. In its final statement, the summit condemned Israel for its aggression against Gaza, and demanded an immediate cessation of all forms of aggression, an immediate withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the lifting of the unconditional blockade of the Strip, including the crossings and the seaport. The statement emphasized the endeavor to prosecute Israel and hold it responsible for committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, and to demand compensation for those affected, stressing the need to immediately and permanently open the crossings and allow all humanitarian aid to enter and be distributed within the Strip. In March 2009, the 21st regular summit was held in the Qatari capital, Doha, where Arab leaders affirmed their commitment to Arab solidarity, adherence to noble Arab values and traditions, and the preservation of the safety of all Arab countries, in addition to respecting their sovereignty and their legitimate right to defend their national independence, resources and capabilities, observing their political systems in accordance with their constitutions and laws, and non-interference in their internal affairs. The 'Doha Summit' also stressed the importance of Arab reconciliation, calling for a new impetus to relations between Arab regimes. In March 2013, the Arab Summit held its 24th regular session in Doha, where the leaders of the Arab countries reaffirmed what was stated in the Charter of the Arab League and the treaties and agreements that complement it to prove the close relations and ties that bind the Arab countries - emphasizing the keenness to consolidate and strengthen these relations and use them for the greater good of the Arab countries as a whole, the improvement of their conditions, the security of their future and the achievement of their aspirations and goals. The Doha Declaration, which was issued at the end of the summit, stressed the importance of exerting efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis. During the first Arab summit conference, which was held in Cairo in January 1964, supporting and consolidating the Arab society has been called for, as well as considering Israel as a threat to the Arab nation and establishing a unified command for the armies of Arab countries. The second regular Arab summit conference was held in Alexandria, Egypt, in September 1964, where the summit called for strengthening Arab defense capabilities, as well as Arab cooperation in the field of atomic research to serve peaceful purposes, and welcomed the establishment of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and adopting it as the representative of the Palestinian people. The third regular Arab summit conference was held in Casablanca, Morocco, in September 1965, where the summit agreed to committing to the Charter of Arab Solidarity, supporting the Palestinian cause in all international forums as well as supporting disarmament, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and solving international problems by peaceful means. In August 1967, the fourth regular Arab summit conference was held in Khartoum, Sudan, after the June War, and the unity of Arab ranks was emphasized. The Khartoum summit was known as 'The Three No's' summit, in which Arab leaders declared that there is "no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, and no negotiation with Israel", while the fifth regular Arab summit was held in Rabat, Morocco, in December 1969, and neither the summit was completed nor a final statement was issued ever since it has been held. The sixth regular Arab summit conference, which was held in Algeria in November 1973, called for the Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem, and the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. The seventh regular Arab summit conference was held in Rabat in October 1974, where the necessity to commit to restoring all the Arab territories that were occupied in the June 1967 aggression was emphasized, as well as the non-acceptance of any situation that would prejudice Arab sovereignty over the occupied Jerusalem. In October 1976, a mini-Arab summit was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which included six countries, with the aim of stopping the bloodshed in Lebanon and restoring normal life. A few days later, the eighth regular Arab summit conference was held in Cairo, Egypt, where the decisions and statements of the 6-party summit held in Riyadh, were ratified. The ninth regular Arab summit conference was held in Baghdad, Iraq, in November 1978, during which support for the Palestinian Liberation Organization was affirmed, while the tenth regular Arab summit conference was held in Tunisia in November 1979. The tenth Arab summit called for strengthening relations with the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)and other organizations and countries to achieve self-development and support Arab causes. In November 1980, the 11th regular Arab summit conference was held in Amman, Jordan, which endorsed the joint Arab action program to confront the Israeli occupation. The 12th regular Arab summit conference was held in the Moroccan city of Fez in two phases, the first in November 1981 and the second in September 1982, during which the King Fahd bin Abdulaziz project for peace in the Middle East - which became a project for Arab peace, was approved. At the beginning of the new millennium, the regular Arab summits have become a regularity, periodically and annually. The 13th Arab summit was held in the Jordanian capital, Amman, in March 2001, and emphasized full solidarity with the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights. In March 2002, the 14th regular Arab summit conference was held in Beirut, Lebanon. The peace initiative in the Middle East of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - who was then the crown prince, was approved to become an Arab peace initiative. In March 2003, the 15th regular Arab summit conference was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The summit affirmed its absolute rejection of striking Iraq or threatening the security and safety of any Arab country, and its support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, while the 16th regular Arab summit conference, held in Tunisia in May 2004, condemned the continuous and escalating Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and its authority, and called for the adoption of the Arab initiative presented to the Security Council in December 2003 aimed at ridding the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction, chief among them were nuclear weapons and Israel's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The 17th regular Arab summit conference was held in Algeria in March 2005, and the leaders renewed their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative as the Arab project to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. The Arab leaders also affirmed their rejection of the law called 'Syria Accountability' and its enemy in violation of the principles of international law and United Nations resolutions, and declared their full solidarity with Syria. At the 18th regular Arab summit conference held in Khartoum in March 2006, the conference reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestine issue, the Arab option to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, and adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative. In March 2007, the 19th regular Arab summit conference was held in Riyadh, where the 'Riyadh Declaration' emphasized a just and comprehensive peace as a strategic choice for the Arab nation and the Arab Peace Initiative. At the 20th Arab summit in Damascus held in March 2008, 11 leaders participated and called for overcoming Arab differences. The declaration of the 22nd regular Arab summit, which was held in Sirte, Libya, in March 2010, stipulated the adherence of Arab countries to Arab solidarity as a practice and an approach. During their 23rd summit held in Baghdad, Iraq, in March 2012, the Arab leaders called for a dialogue between the Syrian regime and the opposition, calling on Damascus to immediately implement the plan of the special envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League in Syria. The 25th regular Arab summit conference was held March 2014 in Kuwait, during which, the leaders of the Arab countries renewed their pledge to find the necessary solutions to the delicate and critical situations that the Arab world is going through with a deep vision and open foresight. They expressed their absolute and categorical refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The 26th Sharm El-Sheikh Summit in March 2015 affirmed Arab solidarity in dealing with the current developments that the region is going through, and the utmost necessity to formulate common Arab positions in the face of all challenges. The 27th Arab summit in Mauritania concluded in March 2016 with the issuance of the Nouakchott Declaration, which affirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause in joint Arab action, moving forward in supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the face of the systematic Israeli aggression, and devoting all efforts towards a comprehensive, just and lasting solution. The 28th Arab Summit was held in Jordan in March 2017, where the matter of protecting the Arab world from the dangers that beset it was stressed, as well as building a better future for the Arab peoples. The 29th Arab summit was held in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in April 2018, and its final statement stressed the importance of strengthening joint Arab action to confront the dangers facing Arab countries and threatening their security and stability. As for the 30th regular Arab summit, which was held in March 2019 in Tunisia, the conference emphasized that the Golan is occupied Syrian territory, in accordance with international law, United Nations and Security Council resolutions, and with the recognition of the international community. Emergency Summits. The first emergency Arab summit was held in Inshas, Egypt, in May 1946, and it emphasized the Arabness of the Palestinian cause and considered it the Arabs' central issue, and demanded the cessation of Jewish immigration to Palestine and decided to defend Palestine in case it was attacked. In November 1956, the second extraordinary Arab summit conference was held in Beirut, and called for standing by Egypt against the tripartite aggression, and affirmed Egypt's sovereignty over the Suez Canal. The conference also supported the struggle of the Algerian people for independence. In September 1970, the third emergency Arab summit conference was held in Cairo to resolve the Jordanian-Palestinian dispute in order to spare Arab blood. The fourth emergency summit was held in Riyadh in October 1976 to discuss the crisis in Lebanon and ways to solve it. The fifth emergency summit in was held in Fez, Morocco, in September 1982, during which a project for Arab peace was approved. The sixth emergency Casablanca summit, which was held in August 1985, addressed and discussed the Palestinian issue, the deteriorating situation in Lebanon, and international terrorism. The seventh emergency Arab summit was held in Amman, Jordan, in November 1987, and it affirmed adherence to the return of all occupied Arab lands and the blessed Al-Quds as a basis for peace, and the need to build the Arabs' self-power. The Algiers summit held in June 1988, was the eighth emergency Arab summit, and its most prominent decisions included support for the Palestinian popular uprising, as well as enhancing its effectiveness and ensuring its continuity, and demanding the convening of an international peace conference in the Middle East under the supervision of the United Nations. The ninth extraordinary summit 'Casablanca summit' was held in 1989. Among its most important decisions was to provide support and moral and material assistance to the Palestinian uprising, and to support the convening of the International Peace Conference in the Middle East, in addition to supporting the establishment of an independent State of Palestine and work to expand its recognition. The tenth extraordinary Arab summit held in Baghdad in May 1990, welcomed the unity of North and South Yemen, and supported the continuation of the Palestinian Intifada. The 11th extraordinary Arab summit conference, which was held in Cairo in August 1990, condemned the Iraqi aggression against the State of Kuwait, and affirmed Kuwait's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. After a 6-year hiatus, the 12th emergency Arab summit conference was held in Cairo, in June 1996 and attended by all Arab countries. The conference issued a final statement that included a set of decisions, including initial approval of the establishment of the Arab Court of Justice (ACJ), the east charter for Arab security and cooperation, and the Arab League's mechanism for the prevention, management and settlement of disputes, in addition to the acceleration of the establishment of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA). The 13th emergency Cairo summit in October 2000, was held in the wake of the violence that erupted against the Palestinians after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon entered Al-Aqsa Mosque. The summit's final statement included several decisions, the most important of which were establishing a fund in the name of the Jerusalem Intifada with a capital of USD 200 million to support the families of the martyrs and rehabilitating the wounded and injured, and establishing a fund in the name of Al-Aqsa Fund with a capital of USD 800 million to support the Palestinian economy, in addition to allowing the import of Palestinian goods without quantitative or qualitative restrictions. (QNA)