By Moussa Ahmad
KUWAIT, March 28 (KUNA) -- Jordan hosts the 28th Regular Arab Summit that kicks off on March 29 amid unparalleled conditions and challenges on the Arab scene, topped with developments in Syria and Yemen, and the Palestinian Cause.
This is the fourth Arab summit that the Kingdom hosts. In 1987 it hosted an extraordinary summit, besides two regular ones, 1980 and 2001.
Previously, the Arab League held 40 Arab summits since the organization was established on March 22, 1945, 27 regular and 13 extraordinary ones. Also, three economic summits were held.
The 28th regular summit is being held in Jordan after Yemen apologized for not being able to host the annual major meeting.
According to the Arab League charter, the host country for the annual Arab Summit is decided by alphabetic order of member states.
Following is a chronology of the previous Arab summits and the major outcome.
- The Anshas Extraordinary Summit in Alexandria, Egypt, was held on May 28 and 29, 1946 in support of Palestine. Participants in the summit prioritized the Palestinian Cause, and warned of a Zionist threat. They vowed to defend Palestine against any aggression.
- A decade later, November 1956, the Beirut Extraordinary Summit was convened in the aftermath of the Tripartite Aggression, the British-French-Israeli attack on Egypt. The Arab leaders then emphasized Egypt's sovereignty over the Suez Canal according to the October 13, 1956 UN Security Council resolution 1888. They also hailed the Algerian people's struggle to attain independence.
- The first Regular Arab Summit was held in Cairo in January, 1964, and called for dissolving disagreements among the Arab states, establishing a joint military command for Arab armies, and considering Israel a danger that threatens the Arab nation.
- Then the second Regular summit was held in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria, September 5-11, 1964. It called for boosting Arab solidarity for the liberation of Palestine, enhancing the Arab cooperation in fields of nuclear research for peaceful purposes. The leaders also welcomed the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
- The third Regular summit was held in Casablanca, Morocco, September 13 to 17, 1965. It called for supporting the Palestinian cause in all international forums. The leaders also called for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and dissolving international conflicts peacefully. The summit witnessed the signing of the Arab Solidarity Charter.
- The forthth Regular Arab Summit took place in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, August 29, 1967 following the Israeli 1967 War. The Arab leaders then announced the three Nos; no peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel.
- On December 23, 1969, the fifth Regular Arab Summit was held in Rabat, but was adjourned without making any resolutions.
- The third Extraordinary Arab Summit was held in Cairo on September 27, 1970, and called for immediate Palestinian-Jordanian clashes.
- The sixth Regular Arab Summit was held from November 26 to 28, 1973 in Algeria and demanded the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories including Jerusalem. It also called for giving the Palestinian people their legal rights. The summit welcomed Mauritania's joining the Arab League.
- The seventh Regular Arab Summit, held in Rabat, Morocco, October 26-29, 1974, stressed the importance of liberating all Arab territories seized in the June 1967 attack, rejecting all that might affect Arab sovereignty over Jerusalem. The summit acknowledged the PLO as the only legal representative of the Palestinian people.
- Saudi Arabia called for a mini extraordinary Arab summit in support of Lebanon. The summit that was held in Riyadh on October 16-18, 1976, rejected the division of Lebanon and called for reconstruction in the country. It also urged further support to Arab solidarity.
- The eighth Regular Arab Summit convened in Cairo on October 25-26, 1976. It approved the resolutions made by the Riyadh summit and urged the Arab states to contribute to the reconstruction of Lebanon.
- The ninth summit, held in Baghdad, Iraq, on November 2-5, 1978, reiterated support to the PLO and rejected the Israeli-Egyptian Camp David agreement, saying it opposed the resolutions made by the Arab summits. The Arab leaders agreed to boycott Egypt and to temporarily freeze its membership in Arab League. They also decided to transfer the Arab League's headquarters from Egypt to Tunisia.
- The tenth Regular Arab Summit was held in Tunis, November 20-22, 1979. Condemned the US policy supporting the Israeli aggression on the Palestinians.
- The 11th Regular Arab Summit, held in the Jordanian capital of Amman, November 25-27, 1980, discussed the Un Security Council Resolution 242. It called for settling the Arab-Arab disagreements, and a ceasefire between Iraq and Iran.
- The Moroccan city of Fes hosted the 12th Regular Summit, held on two phases, the first on November 25, 1981 while the second was on September 6-9, 1982. The summit approved Saudi then King Fahad's project for peace in the Middle East, which offered an Arab project for peace. The Arab leaders taking part in the Summit denounced the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, reaffirming support to the country regarding the implementation of the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, which demanded Israel's withdrawal to the internationally acknowledged borders.
Casablanca, Morocco, hosted the fourth Extraordinary Arab Summit on August 7-9, 1985, which reiterated full commitment to the Arab Solidarity Charter, forming two committees to clear the Arab atmosphere. The summit emphasized a strong will to put a rapid end to the Iraq-Iran war through a peaceful, just, and honorable solution.
- The fifth Extraordinary Arab Summit was held in Amman on November 8-11, 1987. The Arab leaders then voiced solidarity with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the face of Iran's threats and provocations.
- On June 7-9, 1988, the sixth Extraordinary Summit was held in Algiers, calling for full support to the Palestinian Intifada (Uprising). It also called for organizing the proposed international conference for peace in the region under the UN umbrella, taking international legitimacy and the UN resolution as references. It also condemned the US aggression on Libya.
- Casablanca hosted the seventh Extraordinary Arab Summit on May 23-26, 1989, welcoming Egypt's full-membership return to the Arab League. It also discussed the formation of a committee to be tasked with settling the Lebanese crisis.
- The Iraqi capital of Baghdad hosted the eighth Extraordinary Arab Summit, May 28-30, 1990, which called for backing the Palestinian Intifada and condemned the Jewish immigration and settlement in Palestine. It also welcomed the unification between North and South Yemen.
- In the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, Cairo hosted the ninth Extraordinary Summit, August 9-10, 1990, which condemned the aggression and its consequences. The summit emphasized Kuwait's sovereignty and, at the same time, denounced Iraq's threats to the rest of GCC states. Arab countries responded to demands by Saudi Arabia and decided to send troops to defend the Kingdom and the region.
- The Egyptian capital again hosted the tenth Extraordinary Summit, June 21-23, 1996 which in principle, approved setting up an Arab Court of Justice. It entrusted the Arab Economic and Social Council, an affiliate of the Arab League, to take the necessary steps for setting up an Arab free trade zone.
- The 11th Extraordinary Summit was held in Cairo October 21-22, 2000. The summiteers established Al-Quds Fund with a capital of USD 200 million, and to support the families and dependents of those killed in the Palestinian uprising. Al-Aqsa Fund was also founded with USD 800 million for projects to preserve the Arab and Islamic identity of Al-Quds, and to back the Palestinian economy and reduce dependency on Israel in this respect.
- With the start of the new millennium, the 13th Regular Arab Summit was held in Amman in March 27-28, 2001. Summiteers asserted solidarity with the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights. The Arab leaders renewed boycotting of states that transform their embassies to Jerusalem.
- The 14th Regular Arab Summit was held in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 27-28, 2002. A peace initiative proposed by late Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz for the Middle East was adopted and dubbed the "Arab Peace Initiative."
- The 15th Regular Arab Summit took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on March 1, 2003. The Arab leaders then asserted their condemnation of using force against Iraq and threatening the security of any Arab state.
- On March 22-23, 2004 the 16th Regular Arab Summit was held in Tunisia. The leaders called for lifting the siege on the Palestinian people. They also agreed to reform the Arab League Charter.
- The 17th Regular Arab Summit was held in the Algeria, March 22-23, 2005. The leaders reiterated their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative, and condemned Israel's continued construction of a separation barrier. They also expressed support to Lebanon's right to practice its political options freely.
- In Khartoum, Sudan, where the 18th Regular Summit was held March 28-29, 2006, the major theme on the agenda was the situation in the Palestinian territories. The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
- The 19th Regular Summit was held in Riyadh in March 2007, reiterated the UAE's absolute sovereignty over its three islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Mousa. It also stressed the Arab solidarity.
- In March 2008, Damascus hosted the 20th Arab Regular Summit that called for overcoming the Arab-Arab differences, rejected the US sanctions against Syria and called for respecting Iraq's unity and sovereignty.
- Qatar's capital of Doha hosted the 21st Regular Summit in March 2009. The Arab leaders rejected the warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court for Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir. They also called for a time framework for Israel to honor its commitments toward the peace process.
- The 22nd Regular Summit was held in Sirte, Libya, in October 2010, and called for drawing up an Arab action plan to save Jerusalem and preserve Al-Aqsa Mosque in cooperation with the international community.
- The 23rd Regular Summit was held in Baghdad, March 2012, and announced the adoption of a comprehensive reform vision in the Arab World. It also endorsed three basic documents of strategic dimensions in water security, stimulating the Arab tourism, and curbing consequences of catastrophes.
- Doha hosted the 24th Regular Summit, March 2013, which agreed to establish the Arab Court for Human Rights, and a fund for supporting Jerusalem. It also recognized the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, as the only representative of the Syrian people.
- Kuwait hosted the 25th Arab Regular Summit in March 2014, when leaders pledged support to the Arab countries that were experiencing political and social transformation. It also urged the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities and find a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
- The 26th Regular Summit was held in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh in March 2015. The Arab leaders then agreed to form a joint Arab military force to "face the challenges and preserve the Arab national security."
- Mauritanian then hosted the 27th Regular Summit, July 2016, which condemned Iran's continuous interference in the affairs of the Arab countries. It also decided that the Arab Economic Summit would be held every four years, to be merged with the ordinary summit. (end)
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