Economic and Social Council (Arab League)
Encyclopedia
The Arab Economic and Social Development summits are summits of the Arab League, held at the head of state
level to address issues of economic and social development among member-states. The inaugural summit was held in 2009 in Kuwait
, and the second summit is planned to be held in Egypt
in 2011.
, was passed at the Arab League summit
in Riyadh
, Saudi Arabia
.
In June 2007, the secretary-general of the Arab League
convened an extraordinary session of the ESC, which had been tasked with organising the summit under the terms of resolution 365, and it was agreed that the responsibility of preparing for the first summit would fall to a preparatory committee, consisting of Saudi Arabia
, Sudan
, Syria
, the chair of the ESC for the time being, and the two member-states that had proposed resolution 365, Egypt and Kuwait.
In October 2007, the secretary-general appointed Egyptian
ambassador
Mervat Tellawi the co-ordinator-general for the upcoming summit and established a management committee within the framework of the general secretariat of the Arab League, later renamed the Development Summit Management Committee, that included the newly-appointed co-ordinator-general, Mervat Tellawi, and various assistant secretaries-general of the Arab League.
The summit was conceived as an opportunity to involve the private sector
, and preparatory meetings were held by the Development Summit Management Committee with, inter alia, the Arab Banks
Federation (November 2007), the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries
(December 2007) and the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee of the Arab Parliament
(May 2008).
By the 2008 Arab League summit
in Damascus
, Syria, advanced progress had been reported by the preparatory committee to the eighty-first session of the ESC, and having received an offer to host the summit from the emir of Kuwait, USD 2 million was approved by the Arab League for financing.
, and various resolutions were passed "in solidarity with Gaza
". Among the other resolutions passed, there was a call for adopting necessary measures to establish an Arab customs union
as of 2010, to be fully operational by 2015, to ultimately establish an Arab common market.
, the former Egyptian prime minister
, announced that Egypt would hold the next summit in 2011. Among the issues to be discussed is the proposed Arab Plan of Action for Science and Technology, adopted at the 2009 summit, the implementation of which is being led by UNESCO
and its Arab equivalent, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization
(ALECSO).
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
level to address issues of economic and social development among member-states. The inaugural summit was held in 2009 in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, and the second summit is planned to be held in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 2011.
Background
On 29 March 2007, resolution 365, proposed by Egypt and Kuwait and calling for a summit to address exclusively the economic and social development issues facing the Arab worldArab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, was passed at the Arab League summit
2007 Arab League summit
The 2007 Arab League Summit, also called the Riyadh Summit, refers to a convention of leaders from 21 members of the Arab League who gathered in Riyadh for the 19th Arab summit in March 2007. The summit convened on the 28 March 2007 and was preceded by a set of preparatory meetings starting on 24...
in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
In June 2007, the secretary-general of the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
convened an extraordinary session of the ESC, which had been tasked with organising the summit under the terms of resolution 365, and it was agreed that the responsibility of preparing for the first summit would fall to a preparatory committee, consisting of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, the chair of the ESC for the time being, and the two member-states that had proposed resolution 365, Egypt and Kuwait.
In October 2007, the secretary-general appointed Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Mervat Tellawi the co-ordinator-general for the upcoming summit and established a management committee within the framework of the general secretariat of the Arab League, later renamed the Development Summit Management Committee, that included the newly-appointed co-ordinator-general, Mervat Tellawi, and various assistant secretaries-general of the Arab League.
The summit was conceived as an opportunity to involve the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
, and preparatory meetings were held by the Development Summit Management Committee with, inter alia, the Arab Banks
Arab Banks
The modern system of Arab banks was created in Egypt in the late 19th century, with the campaign of modernizing the country. Today Arab banks are among the most pioneering in Developing Countries, and some are competitors to major international banks....
Federation (November 2007), the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries
General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries
-Introduction:Established in 1951, with the Headquarters in Beirut, Known Simply as the General Union, its a non-Governmental Organization that represents the Arab Private Sector on the regional and international levels....
(December 2007) and the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee of the Arab Parliament
Arab Parliament
At the Arab League Summit of 2001-Amman, the Arab states agreed to create an Arab Parliament, and came up with a resolution to give the Secretary General of the Arab League the power to start and create the Parliament...
(May 2008).
By the 2008 Arab League summit
2008 Arab League summit
The 2008 Arab League summit was held in Damascus on March 29, 2008. The summit was marred by inter-Arab differences, mainly over the political deadlock in Lebanon, with relations between Syria and the Saudi-Egypt coalition reaching an all time low. Saudi Arabia and Egypt snubbed the summit by...
in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria, advanced progress had been reported by the preparatory committee to the eighty-first session of the ESC, and having received an offer to host the summit from the emir of Kuwait, USD 2 million was approved by the Arab League for financing.
2009 summit
On 19–20 January 2009, the first Arab Economic and Social Development Summit was duly held in Kuwait. Coming almost immediately after the Gaza War, the Arab media praised the summit for its success in reconciling the Arab worldArab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
, and various resolutions were passed "in solidarity with Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
". Among the other resolutions passed, there was a call for adopting necessary measures to establish an Arab customs union
Arab Customs Union
The Arab customs union is a customs union announced at the Arab League's 2009 Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Kuwait in order to achieve a functional customs union by 2015 and an Arab common market by 2020 and to increase inter-Arab trade and integration.The announcement was made by...
as of 2010, to be fully operational by 2015, to ultimately establish an Arab common market.
2011 summit
Leaving the 2009 summit, Ahmed NazifAhmed Nazif
Ahmed Nazif served as the Prime Minister of Egypt from 14 July 2004 to 29 January 2011, when his cabinet was dismissed by President Hosni Mubarak in light of a popular uprising that led to the Egyptian Revolution of 2011...
, the former Egyptian prime minister
Prime Minister of Egypt
The Prime Minister of Egypt is the head of the Egyptian government. According to the constitution, the prime minister is the leader of the largest political party in the Egyptian Parliament....
, announced that Egypt would hold the next summit in 2011. Among the issues to be discussed is the proposed Arab Plan of Action for Science and Technology, adopted at the 2009 summit, the implementation of which is being led by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
and its Arab equivalent, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization
Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization
The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization is a Tunis-based institution of the Arab League, established in accordance with article 3 of the Arab Cultural Unity Charter by an announcement made in Cairo, Egypt, on 25 July 1970...
(ALECSO).