On March 28, the summit-level assembly of the League of Arab States, convened in Sharm al-Sheikh, discussed several proposed amendments to its charter, which provides the regulatory framework for the League of Arab States (LAS). The amendments were proposed by the LAS’s open-member Reform and Development Committee and its four working groups.
The amendments are significant because they set forth a clear structure for the LAS while putting in place a specific organizational framework for all its various agencies and bodies that will guarantee their independence. They also establish clear procedural rules to regulate the relationship between these bodies.
For the first time, the amendments would add a set of extremely important principles to the text of the charter on respect for democratic principles and the values of justice and equality, the protection of human rights, and the promotion of good governance and the rule of law.
The amendments proposed by the Reform and Development Committee include among the objectives of the LAS the promotion of democracy, popular participation, good governance, and a recognition of the values of belonging and citizenship as the basis for rights and duties. The amendments also promote the popular aspect of collective Arab action through the development of cooperation and partnerships with civil society institutions and the private sector. This is a laudable step in the direction of strengthening cooperation between the LAS and Arab civil society.
Attached is a table of the most significant of the proposed amendments to the LAS charter
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