Arab Economic and Social Development Summit

Context: Arab leaders and officials have urged the international community to support nations hosting Syrian refugees and take steps to minimise the impact of the refugee crisis. The call was made in the Beirut Declaration at the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit that concluded in the Lebanese capital recently.

Significance of the declaration:

This is the first time Arab countries have reached a consensus on encouraging Syrian refugees to return to their country.

The declaration said, the refugee crisis in Arab countries is the worst humanitarian problem since World War II. It points out that the crisis leads to an economic slowdown, increases the expenditure and deficit, imposes burdens on public sectors and infrastructure and poses risks to the society.

Arab Economic and Social Development summits:

They are summits of the Arab League, held at the head of state level to address issues of economic and social development among member-states.

What is Arab League?

The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab countries in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa and Arabia.

It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Kingdom of Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Currently, the League has 22 members, but Syria’s participation has been suspended since November 2011, as a consequence of government repression during the Syrian Civil War.

The League’s main goal is to “draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries“.

Sources: AIR.