Model League of Arab States - Youngstown State University

Model League
of Arab States
Delegates’ Handbook
and
Rules of Procedure
Model United Nations:
Understanding the World through Simulation
Global Education Program, Department of Political Science, Youngstown State University

Copyright © 2004 Global Education Program
Department of Political Science, Youngstown State University
Series Editor: Dr. David Porter, Ph.D.
2004 Editor: David Porter, Ph.D.
Authors: Dr. David Porter, Ph.D., Matthew Vansuch
2004 Secretary General: Aaron Dragres
Sources
Cover picture
LAS logo
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
The clipart was obtained from the Microsoft Clipart Gallery
The Global Education Program (GEP) is sponsored by the Department of Political Science, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH 44555.
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Introduction to the Model League of Arab States
What began as a British plan to shore up support against the Axis powers in 1942 has developed into the
foremost international body representing the Islamic states in the Middle East. The Egyptian government formally
proposed such an idea in 1943. The idea of an “Arab League” of the various Arabian countries united under a single
“Arab” banner was proposed, but the potential loss of self-rule that could result from a total union led many Arab
states—including Egypt—to push for an organization that would lead to closer cooperation without the previously
mentioned losses.
Figure 1 Representatives from the future
charter members of the League meet at
Anotniadess Palace in Alexandria on 25
September 1944 to discuss preparations for
the League’s establishment. The resulting
document, the “Alexandria Protocol,” detailed
the organization’s goals, objectives, and
structure. It was signed at Farouq I University
on 17 th October 1944.
PLO representing it at its summit meeting in Rabat, Morocco.
The original charter of the League established a regional
organization of sovereign states that was neither a union nor a federation of
independent states. The League hoped to win the independence of all
Arabs still under colonial rule and to prevent the Jewish minority in the
British-governed territory of Palestine from creating an independent Jewish
state. When Israel declared independence in 1948 despite attempts to
block its establishment, the League’s reputation suffered greatly during its
infancy. The initial seven members of the League were Egypt, Iraq,
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan, and Yemen, all of which signed
the Pact of the Arab League on 22 March 1945. Since then, numerous
countries have joined, for a current total of 22 (plus Palestine). In 1979,
Egypt was suspended from membership because of its signature to the
Camp David Accords and was not readmitted until 1989. The second
League summit, held in Alexandria in September, helped gave birth to the
Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Liberation Army. In
1974, the League proclaimed the PLO to be the sole representative of the
Palestinian people and admitted the State of Palestine into its fold with the
Figure 2 Current members of the League of Arab States.
Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Yemen – 1945; Libya – 1953; Sudan – 1956; Morocco and
Tunisia – 1958; Kuwait – 1961; Algeria – 1962; Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates – 1971; Mauritania – 1973;
Somalia and the State of Palestine – 1974; Djibouti – 1977; Comoros – 1993
Model League of Arab States Handbook and Rules of Procedure Page 1

Objectives
The League is a national and regional organization that seeks to promote closer ties among member-states
and co-ordinate their policies and their economic, cultural, and security plans with a view to developing collective cooperation,
protecting national security and maintaining the independence and sovereignty of member-states; thereby
enhancing the potential for joint Arab action in all fields. 1
The League uses economic and social policies and activities to promote joint action and to provide the
means for cooperative development, security, liberation, and economic integration. It is entrusted with defending the
interests and national causes of the Arab world through:
a) the implementation of joint action plans at the regional and international levels,
b) coordination with regional and international organizations,
c) the examination and resolution of disputes that may arise between members and to adopt whichever
resolutions and measures as may be deemed necessary to settle such disputes by peaceful
means.
While the Charter defines the specifics of the League, it is the Alexandria Protocol that provides the longrange
objectives and fundamental basis for the League. Two more documents have been regarded as
complementary to the Charter; namely, the Treaty for Joint Defense and Economic Co-operation, concluded on 13
March 1950, and Charter for National Economic Action, issued on 26 November 1980. All members have become
parties to both instruments. 2
Arab League’s Governing Structure
The governing structure of the League was established in the Charter. There are five main bodies.
ü Summit Conferences
Summit conferences are called when the need arises. The first occurred on 13 January 1964 in Cairo, Egypt.
The heads of state and government attend these sessions—12 ordinary and 11 extraordinary summits have been
convened—and discuss major issues affecting the Arab community. The result is a communiqué, a type of resolution
that states the general position of the leaders. These resolutions form the basis from which the other bodies work;
195 have been passed. The Charter does not provide for a summit conference, yet the League’s members view
them as critical to the forward progress of the organization.
ü Council of the League
The Charter established the Council as the League’s supreme body, defining its formation, scope of authority,
rules of procedure, and voting. All member states are members of the Council, and each has one vote. Unanimous
Council decisions are binding on all members; majority decisions are binding only on those members that have
accepted the majority decision. Financial and administrative resolutions need only be passed by two-thirds of the
members to be binding upon all. In the event the Council is debating hostilities between two or more members, the
aggressor nation is not permitted to vote on the resolution. Affiliate or standing committees assist the Council in
conducting its work.
The Council is mainly concerned with pursuing the objectives of the League and monitoring the
implementation of the plans and programs adopted by the League. Through the Council, the League promotes joint-
Arab action on a wide range of economic, cultural and political activities. In addition, the Council has the power to
1 Retrieved from the League of Arab States home page: < http://www.leagueofarabstates.org/e_Las.asp?dd=goals>
2 Introduction to the Charter of the League of Arab States:
Page 2
Model League of Arab States Handbook and Rules of Procedure

amend the Charter, mediate disputes between members, act on applications for membership, and accept withdrawals
from the League.
Other functions include the establishment of affiliate bodies and the appointment of the Secretary-General.
The Council meets twice a year—in March and September—in regular session and may convene in an extraordinary
session if so requested by two or more members.
The Treaty for Joint Defense and Economic Co-operation provides for the establishment of a Joint Defense
Council that consists of the foreign and defense ministers of the members. Its main task is to adopt whatever means
and measures it deems necessary—including the use of armed forces—to repel any act of aggression against any
member and to restore peace and security. The Treaty also provides for an Economic Council. In 1977, after
recognizing the importance of social issues in development, the Council reorganized the Economic Council into the
Economic and Social Council.
ü Technical Committees
The Charter called for technical and specialized committees to assist members in discussing technical
matters related to Arab cooperation. Since its inception, the workload for these committees increased and
specialized ministerial councils were established to permanently discuss these issues. Three of the standing,
technical committees continue to exist: Administrative Court, Investment Arbitration Board, and Higher Auditing Board.
ü Secretary-General
The day-to-day operations of the Agency are the responsibility of the Secretary-General. The Secretary-
General is appointed by a two-thirds majority of the Council. The primary responsibility is the overseeing of the
Secretariat, which is the administrative body of the League and the executive organ of the Council. The Assistant
Secretaries-Generals assist the Secretary-General and oversee the various departments and agencies. The
League’s current Headquarters are in Cairo, Egypt.
The General Secretariat Departments include: Bureau of the
Secretary-General, International Affairs, Arab Affairs, Palestine Affairs,
Information Affairs, Economic Affairs, Social Affairs, Legal Affairs, Military
Affairs, Administrative & Financial Affairs, Internal Audit, Institutional
Development Unit, Documentation and Information Center, Principal Bureau
for the Boycott of Israel-in Damascus, Arab League Center in Tunisia City,
and the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research in Beirut. There are
three affiliate organs: Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African States
in Cairo, Arab Music Academy in Baghdad, and Higher Arab Institute for
Translation in Algiers. The Secretariat also maintains missions in various
cities, including New York, London, Beijing, Brussels, and Washington,
D.C.
ü Specialized Ministerial Councils
Figure 3 The Arab League's first and current
headquarters are in Cairo, Egypt. From 1979-
1989, Tunis served as the League's seat.
The councils are designed to coordinate policies amongst Arab states. Each ministerial council holds regular
meetings and proposes common policies to the Secretariat and the Council. Twelve such councils have been
established: Information, Interior, Justice, Housing, Transport, Social Affairs, Youth and Sports, Health, Environmental
Affairs, Telecom, Energy and Electricity, and Tourism. Each member’s corresponding government minister sits on the
appropriate ministerial council.
Within this category are numerous specialized Arab agencies. These include: Council of Arab Economic
Model League of Arab States Handbook and Rules of Procedure Page 3

Unity, Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), Arab Administrative Development Organization
(ARADO), Arab States Broadcasting Union (ABSU), Arab Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO),
Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), Arab Academy for Science and Technology
(AAST), Arab Labor Organization (ALO), Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), Arab Satellite
Communications Organization (ARBSAT), Arab Interior Ministers Council, Arab Atomic Energy Board (AAEA), Arab
Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO), and Arab Civil Aviation Association. There are also a group
of Arab Financial Institutions: Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab Bank for Economic
Development in Africa, Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation, Arab Monetary Fund, and Arab Authority for
Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID).
Conclusion
Discord among its members has often weakened the League politically, but it has managed to settle some
Arab disputes and to limit conflicts, such as the Lebanese civil wars of 1958 and 1975-76. The League has been more
effective in activities fostering economic, social, and cultural cooperation among Arab states.
Web Sites
League of Arab States Home Page:
Arab League Online – excellent background, pictures, and text not present at the League’s official website:
Palestinian History:
BBC Quick Guide to the Arab League:
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Model League of Arab States Handbook and Rules of Procedure

Appendix I: Rules of Procedure
League of Arab States – Council of the Arab League
Section 100 – The Executive Committee
1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Secretary-General, the Undersecretary-General of Parliamentary Procedure, the
Undersecretary-General of Facilities, and the faculty advisor. The Executive Committee has final jurisdiction in all matters and shall not be subject
to appeal. Members of the Executive Committee or duly designated officers may address or present written statements to any organ, committee,
or other body at anytime.
Section 110 – The General Powers and Limits of the Chair
1. The Chair shall have no vote and remains under the authority of the Assembly in the dispensing of his/her duties.
2. The Chair shall have the power to: declare the opening and closing of session, direct deliberations, insure the observation of these rules,
accord the right to speak, place time limits on speakers, announce decisions, and rule on procedural questions.
3. The Chair shall establish the quorum at the opening session after the review of the rules and addressing any delegate questions. All
substantive votes will be based on the official quorum; procedural votes shall be based on those present and voting.
4. Subject to appeal, the Chair shall have the power to rule motions and amendments dilatory, if the motion is intended to disrupt or delay the
normal fruitions of the Assembly.
5. Except where noted, delegates may appeal any ruling of the Chair. The delegate and the Chair will explain their positions. The Chair will ask
the question, “Shall the decision stand as is?” An affirmative vote supports the Chair while a negative vote supports the delegate. Appeals are
procedural, requiring a 2/3 vote (negative votes) to overturn the Chair.
Section 120 – Adopting the Agenda
1. The first order of business is for the Assembly to set its own agenda and order of consideration from the topics provided by the Secretariat. A
motion to set the order of consideration must rank (first, second, etc.) each topic assigned to the Assembly.
2. When the Assembly is not debating a substantive question, any delegate may move to change the order of consideration. A motion to
change the order of consideration must re-rank each topic remaining on the agenda.
Section 130 – Debate
1. No delegate may speak before the Assembly without the permission of the Chair. All speeches are limited to the issues before the Assembly.
The Chair shall call a speaker out of order if the delegate’s remarks are not germane to the discussion.
2. The Chair, or the Assembly, may limit the length of speeches.
3. Delegates will be recognized by the Chair in the order that they signify their desire to speak, while providing equitable opportunities for all
delegates to be heard.
4. The Chair of the Assembly may call for the formal rules of debate to be suspended for informal discussions, for a specified length of time. No
motions, other than a motion to move back to formal debate, will be recognized during informal debate. This is up to the discretion of the Chair and
cannot be appealed.
5. Previous question is moved to end debate and vote on amendments and resolutions. There shall be one speaker for and one speaker
against. If the question passes, the Assembly will move into the voting procedure without delay.
Section 140 – Speakers’ List
1. The Speakers’ List will consist of any state wanting to speak on the current topic, resolution, and/or amendments before the Assembly.
Delegates will be recognized by the Chair in the order that they signify their desire to speak, while providing equitable opportunities for all delegates
to be heard.
2. There may be up to three speakers’ lists open at one time (topic, resolution, and amendment). Deliberations will remain fixed on one
speakers’ list at a time. The most particular (i.e. amendment) will be exhausted, and then the Assembly will proceed to the most general (i.e. the
agenda topic).
3. At the end of a speech, a speaker may yield his/her remaining time to: (a) the chair or (b) questions from the floor. Questions from the floor
are to be addressed through the Chair. A speaker may refuse to answer questions, but by doing so, the speaker must surrender the floor.
4. At the beginning of a speech, a speaker may yield remaining time to another delegate. The delegate receiving time may not yield time to a
third delegate.
Section 150 – Resolutions
1. All resolutions must be co-sponsored by three members of the Assembly. Sponsorship may be withdrawn at any time prior to the resolution
being amended. The Chair shall ask if another delegate is willing to replace the withdrawing sponsor.
2. Before consideration, resolutions must be approved by the Secretary-General, or his/her representative, and be submitted to the Chair. After
a delegate has been recognized by the Chair and at the end of his/her speech, the delegate may move to consideration of any resolution. Moving
Model League of Arab States Handbook and Rules of Procedure Page 5

to consider a resolution is a procedural matter.
3. If two or more resolutions deal with the same topic, they will be discussed in the order in which they were introduced. Voting on a resolution is
a substantive matter.
Section 160 – Amendments
1. An amendment is anything that adds to, deletes from, or clarifies a resolution. All amendments shall be in writing and turned into the Secretary
prior to consideration by the Committee. The Chair or his/her representative must approve all amendments.
2. A formal amendment (unfriendly amendment) requires three co-sponsors. After a delegate has been recognized by the Chair and at the end
of his/her speech, the delegate may move to amend the resolution on the floor. Voting to amend a resolution is a substantive matter.
3. Friendly amendments must be approved by all the delegations sponsoring the resolution. The Chair shall confirm approval; upon
confirmation, the resolution will be amended without debate.
Section 170 – Voting
1. Each state represented in the World Health Assembly shall have one vote. During voting, no delegate may interrupt the vote except on a point
of order or point of information concerned with the process of voting.
2. The voting delegate must be seated with his/her placard and will be normally conducted by a show of placards. The Chair will call for
delegates to vote “Yes,” “No,” or “Abstain.”
3. Decisions of the Assembly on procedural and substantive matters shall be made by simple majority vote.
4. A motion to divide the question is in order after debate has ended, but before voting begins. Division only applies to resolutions and applicable
amendments and is a procedural matter. There shall be one speaker for and one against. The motion must clearly state how the resolution or
amendment is to be divided. The individual operative clauses may be divided and voted upon individually, but the perambulatory clauses must
remain as one. If the perambulatory clause fails, the entire resolution fails.
5. Any delegate may request a roll call vote when voting on resolutions or amendments. The body shall not vote on this request. The Secretary
will conduct the roll call by calling upon each state individually in English alphabetical order. The delegates will cast their vote by responding “Yes,”
“No,” “No with Right of Explanation,” “Abstain,” or “Pass.” After all countries have been called, the Secretary will call upon those countries that
passed; they must enter a vote of “Yes” or “No.” After the initial vote, the President will ask if any state would like to change their vote.
6. After all countries have voted, the Chair will announce the results.
Section 180 – Points and Rights of the Delegates
1. A Right of Reply is when a delegate feels that his/her personal or national dignity has been impugned by a preceding speech or statement. A
right of reply allows the offended delegate the opportunity to reply to the offensive comment. This is up to the discretion of the Chair and cannot be
appealed.
2. A Point of Order is called by a delegate who feels that the rules of procedure have been infringed upon. The delegate shall immediately
explain the reason for calling a point of order. The delegate shall not be able to speak on the matter before the Committee. This may interrupt a
speaker, is up to the discretion of the Chair, and may be appealed.
3. A Point of Information is raised when a delegate has a question concerning the proceedings of the General Assembly Committee. The Chair
shall answer this question immediately, or as soon as the information is available.
4. A Point of Personal Privilege is raised to express concern for the rights or comfort of the entire Assembly. This point may also be used to
rectify a problem that impairs a delegate from discharging his/her duties in an effective manner. This is up to the discretion of the Chair, and cannot
be appealed.
Section 190 – Postpone Definitely (Table)
1. A motion to Postpone Definitely pertains only to the substantive matter being debated, and must include a time for the matter to be brought
back before the Assembly. There shall be one speaker for and one speaker against the motion.
Section 200 – Recess/Caucus
1. Recess is a break from the deliberations for the purpose of a short break, or for lunch. A caucus is a break from deliberations for the purpose
of negotiations between delegates. Motions to recess or caucus must include a specified length of time. The Chair may limit the length of a recess
or caucus and may require caucuses to remain in the meeting room.
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Model League of Arab States Handbook and Rules of Procedure

Arab League Council Parliamentary Rules - Short Form
Note: this form is meant to be a short reference for the convenience of delegates and staff.
Substantive Rules - Pertaining to Resolutions or Amendments
Rule
Resolution
Amendment
Friendly Amendment
Comment
Requires 3 co-sponsors; reviewed by
Chair
Requires 3 co-sponsors; adds to,
deletes from, or clarifies a resolution;
must be presented to the Chair in
writing
Informal means of amending a
resolution; agreed upon by all
sponsors and co-sponsors
Vote
Required
Speakers
Interrupt
Speaker
Second
Required
Majority List No No
Majority List No No
By Consent No No No
Rule
Previous Question
Procedural Questions - Affecting or Pertaining to Debate
Comment
Used to bring debate to a close on a
resolution or amendment
Vote
Required
Majority
Point of Order Correct a violation of procedural rules Chair rules
Point of Information Used when a delegate has a question Chair
Personal Privilege
Postpone Definitely
Expresses concern or rights of
Committee
Table resolution or amendment; must
state time the issue will come back to
the table
Chair
Majority
Caucus & Recess Must state time or duration Majority
Appeal the Chair
Right of Reply
Division of Question
Used to overrule procedural rulings;
a yes vote supports the Chair
Personal or national dignity has been
impugned
Must state how resolution or
amendment is to be divided
2/3 Against
Speakers
1 Against,
1 For
Explain
violation
State
question
State
concern
1 Against,
1 For
1 Against,
1 For
Delegate,
Chair
Interrupt
Speaker
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Second
Required
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Chair Delegate No No
Majority
1 Against,
1 For
No
Yes
Model League of Arab States Handbook and Rules of Procedure Page 7