The League of Arab States is one of the most influential regional organizations in the Arab world. It was established on March 22, 1945, upon an initiative by Egypt and with the participation of six Arab countries at that time: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Over the decades, the League gradually expanded to include all Arab countries, reaching a total of 22 member states today. Its headquarters is located in Cairo, Egypt, and it serves as the official platform through which Arab nations seek to unify their positions.
The League’s objectives include strengthening cooperation among member states in various fields — political, economic, educational, and cultural. It also works on resolving disputes through dialogue, supporting Arab positions in international forums, and striving for Arab integration while maintaining regional peace and security.
The League’s activities are organized through the Council of the League, which consists of representatives from all member states and meets regularly to discuss major issues. It also includes a number of specialized councils and committees focusing on areas such as the environment, health, human rights, and education.
Among the most prominent bodies affiliated with the League is the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), which aims to enhance cooperation between Arab countries in education, culture, and science, encourage educational projects, and preserve Arab cultural heritage. ALECSO also supervises the Institute of Arab Research and Studies, which specializes in language, culture, and history, and the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts, which is dedicated to photographing, cataloging, and preserving Arabic and Islamic manuscripts, as well as publishing research and training specialists in the fields of editing and archiving.
Despite the challenges the League faces in achieving its objectives, it remains a key framework for consultation and coordination among Arab states, helping strengthen Arab identity and the sense of shared destiny across the region.
تُعَدُّ جَامِعَةُ الدُّوَلِ العَرَبِيَّةِ مِنْ أَكْثَرِ المُنَظَّمَاتِ الإِقْلِيمِيَّةِ تَأْثِيرًا فِي العَالَمِ العَرَبِيِّ، حَيْثُ تَمَّ تَأْسِيسُهَا فِي ٢٢ مَارِس ٥٤٩١ م بِمُبَادَرَةٍ مِنْ مِصْرَ وَبِحُضُورِ سِتِّ دُوَلٍ عَرَبِيَّةٍ آنَذَاكَ وَهِيَ: مِصْرُ، العِرَاقُ، الأُرْدُنُّ، لُبْنَانُ، السُّعُودِيَّةُ، وَسُورِيَا. وَقَدْ شَهِدَتِ الجَامِعَةُ تَوَسُّعًا تَدْرِيجِيًّا عَلَى مَدَى العُقُودِ، حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ عَدَدُ الدُّوَلِ العُضْوِ حَالِيًّا ٢٢ دَوْلَةً. وَيَقَعُ مَقَرُّ الجَامِعَةِ الرَّئِيسِيُّ فِي مَدِينَةِ القَاهِرَةِ، وَتُؤَدِّي دَوْرَ المِنْبَرِ الرَّسْمِيِّ الَّذِي تَسْعَى مِنْ خِلَالِهِ الدُّوَلُ العَرَبِيَّةُ إِلَى تَوْحِيدِ مَوَاقِفِهَا.
تَهْدِفُ الجَامِعَةُ إِلَى تَعْزِيزِ التَّعَاوُنِ بَيْنَ الدُّوَلِ العُضْوِ فِي مَجَالَاتٍ عَدِيدَةٍ، سِيَاسِيَّةٍ وَاقْتِصَادِيَّةٍ وَتَعْلِيمِيَّةٍ وَثَقَافِيَّةٍ. كَمَا تُعْنَى بِتَسْوِيَةِ النِّزَاعَاتِ عَبْرَ الحِوَارِ، وَدَعْمِ المَوَاقِفِ العَرَبِيَّةِ فِي المُحَافِلِ الدُّوَلِيَّةِ، وَتَسْعَى إِلَى تَحْقِيقِ التَّكَامُلِ العَرَبِيِّ وَالحِفَاظِ عَلَى السَّلَامِ وَالأَمْنِ الإِقْلِيمِيَّيْنِ.
تُنَظَّمُ أَعْمَالُ الجَامِعَةِ مِنْ خِلَالِ مَجْلِسِ الجَامِعَةِ الَّذِي يَجْمَعُ مُمَثِّلِينَ عَنْ كَافَّةِ الدُّوَلِ العُضْوِ، وَيَجْتَمِعُ دَوْرِيًّا لِمُنَاقَشَةِ أَبْرَزِ القَضَايَا. وَتَضُمُّ الجَامِعَةُ كَذَلِكَ مَجَالِسَ وَلِجَانًا مُتَخَصِّصَةً تُعْنَى بِمَجَالَاتٍ مِثْلَ البِيئَةِ وَالصِّحَّةِ وَحُقُوقِ الإِنْسَانِ وَالتَّعْلِيمِ.
وَمِنْ أَبْرَزِ الهَيْئَاتِ التَّابِعَةِ لِلجَامِعَةِ: المُنَظَّمَةُ العَرَبِيَّةُ لِلتَّرْبِيَةِ وَالثَّقَافَةِ وَالعُلُومِ (الألكسو)، الَّتِي تَهْدِفُ إِلَى تَعْزِيزِ التَّعَاوُنِ بَيْنَ الدُّوَلِ العَرَبِيَّةِ فِي مَجَالِ التَّعْلِيمِ وَالثَّقَافَةِ وَالعُلُومِ، وَتَشْجِيعِ المَشَارِيعِ التَّعْلِيمِيَّةِ وَحِفْظِ المَصْطَلَحَاتِ العِلْمِيَّةِ، بِالإِضَافَةِ إِلَى حِمَايَةِ التُّرَاثِ الثَّقَافِيِّ العَرَبِيِّ. وَيَتْبَعُ لِلألكسو مَعْهَدُ البُحُوثِ وَالدِّرَاسَاتِ العَرَبِيَّةِ الَّذِي يَتَخَصَّصُ فِي مَجَالَاتِ اللُّغَةِ وَالثَّقَافَةِ وَالتَّارِيخِ، وَمَعْهَدُ المَخْطُوطَاتِ العَرَبِيَّةِ الَّذِي يَعْمَلُ عَلَى تَصْوِيرِ وَفَهْرَسَةِ المَخْطُوطَاتِ العَرَبِيَّةِ وَالإِسْلَامِيَّةِ وَتَسْهِيلِ الاِطِّلَاعِ عَلَيْهَا، إِلَى جَانِبِ نَشْرِ الأَبْحَاثِ وَتَدْرِيبِ الكَفَاءَاتِ فِي مَجَالِ التَّحْقِيقِ وَالحِفْظِ وَالفَهْرَسَةِ.
وَعَلَى الرَّغْمِ مِنَ التَّحَدِّيَاتِ الَّتِي تُوَاجِهُهَا الجَامِعَةُ فِي تَحْقِيقِ أَهْدَافِهَا، فَإِنَّهَا تَبْقَى إِطَارًا رَئِيسِيًّا لِلتَّشَاوُرِ وَتَنْسِيقِ المَوَاقِفِ العَرَبِيَّةِ عَلَى مُخْتَلَفِ الأَصْعِدَةِ، وَتُسَاهِمُ فِي تَرْسِيخِ الهُوِيَّةِ العَرَبِيَّةِ وَتَعْزِيزِ الإِحْسَاسِ بالمَصِيرِ المُشْتَرَكِ بَيْنَ شُعُوبِ المِنْطَقَةِ.