Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation Treaty between the States of the Arab League
SUMMARY
This pact was based on the draft proposal submitted by Egypt at the
1950 meeting of the Arab League. Signed in the aftermath of the first
Arab-Israeli War, this alliance was meant to provide for solidarity
among Arab states. The pact has been invoked on at least three occa-
sions—following the three-country (Britain, France, and Israel) inva-
sion of Egypt in 1956, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, and during
the 1973 war against Israel. Though still in existence, the defense pact
has remained dormant. Wars between Iraq and Iran (1980–1988) and
the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1989) effectively split opinion among
Arab states, rendering the collective self-defense provisions moot.
However, there have been recent calls to reinvigorate the pact follow-
ing the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Alliance Text
The Governments of:—
H.M. The King of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
H.E. The President of the Syrian Republic.
H.E. The King of the Iraqi Kingdom.
H.M.The King of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom.
H.E. The President of the Lebanese Republic.
H.M. The King of the kingdom of Egypt.
H.M. The King of the Kingdom of Yemen.
In view of the desire of the above-mentioned Governments
to consolidate relations between the States of the Arab League;
to maintain their independence and their mutual heritage, to
fulfill the desire of their peoples to rally in support of mutual
defence and to maintain security and peace according to the
principles of both the Arab League Pact & the United Nations
Charter, and in conformity with the aims of the said Pacts and
to consolidate stability and security and provide means of wel-
fare and construction in their countries.
The following governments delegate
Having been duly accredited and fully authorised by their
respective governments approve the following:
Article 1. In an effort to maintain and stabilize peace and
security, the contracting States hereby confirm their desire to set-
tle their international disputes by peaceful means, whether such
disputes concern their own relations or those with other Powers.
Article 2. The contracting States consider any act of armed
aggression made against any one or more of them or against
their forces, to be directed against them all, and therefore in
accordance with the right of legal defence, individually and col-
lectively they undertake to hasten to the aid of the State or
States against whom such an aggression is made, and to take
immediately, individually and collectively, all means available
including the use of armed force to repel the aggression and
restore security and peace. And, in conformity with Article 6 of
the Arab League Pact and Article 51 of the United Nations
Charter, the Arab League Council and U.N. Security Council
should be notified of such act of aggression and the means and
procedure taken to check it.
Article 3. At the invitation of any one of the signatories of
this Treaty, the contracting States should hold consultations
whenever there are reasonable grounds for the belief that the
territorial integrity, the independence or security of any of the
parties is threatened. In the event of the risk of war or the exis-
tence of an international emergency, the contracting States
should immediately proceed to unify their plans and defensive
measures as the situation may demand.
Article 4. Desiring to implement the above obligations and
to fully and effectively carry them out, the contracting States
will cooperate in consolidating and coordinating their armed
forces and will participate according to their resources and
needs in preparing the individual and collective means of
defence to repulse the armed aggression.
Article 5. A Permanent Military Commission composed of
representatives of the General Staffs of the forces of the con-
tracting States is to be formed to coordinate the plans of joint
defense and their implementation. The powers of the Perma-
nent Military Commission, as set forth in an Annex attached to
this Treaty, include the drafting of the necessary reports, cover-
ing the method of cooperation and participating mentioned in
Article 4. The Permanent Military Commission will submit to
the joint Defense Council, provided hereunder in Article 6,
reports dealing with questions within its province.
Article 6. Under the control of the Arab League Council shall
be formed a Joint Defence Council to deal with all matters con-
cerning the implementation of the provisions of Articles 2, 3, 4
and 5 of this Treaty. It shall be assisted in the performance of its
task by the Permanent Military Commission referred to in Arti-
cle 5. The Joint Defence Council shall consist of the Foreign
Ministers and the Defence Ministers of the contracting States,
or their representatives. Decision taken by a majority of two
thirds shall be binding on all the contracting States.
Article 7. In order to fulfill the aims of this Treaty and to
bring about security and prosperity in Arab countries and in an
effort to raise the standard of life therein, the contracting States
undertake to collaborate for the development of their economic
conditions, the exploitation of their natural resources, the
exchange of their respective agricultural and industrial prod-
ucts, and generally to organise and coordinate their economic
activities and to conclude the necessary inter-Arab agreements
to realise such aims.
Article 8. An Economic Council consisting of the Ministers
in charge of economic affairs, or their representatives if neces-
sary, is to be formed from the contracting States to submit rec-
ommendations for the realisation of all such aims as are set
forth in the previous article. The Council can, in the perform-
ance of its duties, seek the cooperation of the Committee for
Financial and Economic Affairs referred to in Article 4 of the
Arab League Pact.
Article 9. The Annex to this Treaty shall be considered as an
integral and indivisible part of it.
Article 10. The contracting States undertake not to conclude
any international agreements which may be contradictory to
the provisions of this Treaty nor to act, in their international