Article I

The following definitions shall designate the entities mentioned in the present statutes:
The Charter : The Charter of the League of Arab States.
The League : The League of Arab States
The Statutes : The statutes of the Arab Peace and Security Council.
The Council : The Arab Peace and Security Council.
Member States : Member States of the League of Arab States.
Secretary General :The Secretary General of the League of Arab States.
General Secretariat :The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.

Article II

An Arab Peace and Security Council is established under the supervision of the League's Council to replace the “ League of Arab States Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management & Resolution between the Arab States”.
 

Article III

The objectives of the Council are as follows:
a) The prevention of conflicts that may arise between Arab states, their management and settlement should they occur.
b) To follow-up and study developments affecting Arab national security and to submit recommendations thereon to the League's Council.

Article IV

A- The Council will be composed of five member states represented at the Foreign Ministers level as follows:
 

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1- The country currently chairing the League's Council at ministerial level.
2- The two countries having chaired the two previous sessions of League's Council at ministerial level.
3- The two countries due to chair the two following sessions of the League's Council at ministerial level.
B- The Council will be chaired by the Foreign Minister of the country currently chairing the ordinary session of the League's Council.
C- The Council meets at the level of Foreign Ministers, and may meet at the level of representatives.
D- The Secretary General shall participate in the Council meetings.
E- The Council may invite bodies, experts, or whoever it may deem necessary to attend its meetings.
 

Article V

1- If the Chairperson of the Council, or any of its members is party to the conflict the following procedures will be applied:
• The Chairperson of the next session will chair the Council meeting.
• The members who are party to the conflict will be replaced by the Chairperson(s) of sessions following the next two who are already represented on the Council.
2- Parties to the conflict shall be invited to the Council meetings to submit their views. The Council may avail itself of the assistance of any member country to discharge its duties as the case may require.
3- The Council meets twice a year at ministerial level prior to the meetings of the League's Council or, whenever necessary, at the request of any member state of the League, of its Chairperson or of the Secretary

 

General.
Article VI
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In accordance with the Charter of the League of Arab States and with the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states the Council will undertake the following duties:
1- Prepare strategies for the preservation of Arab Peace and Security.
2- Propose appropriate measures to be taken collectively in case of aggression, or threat of aggression against an Arab country in accordance with the provisions of article 6 of the Charter, as well as in the case an Arab country attacking another Arab country or threatening to attack it.


3- Reinforce Arab preventive action capabilities by developing an early warning system and exerting good offices, conciliation and mediation efforts to improve the situation and remove sources of tension with a view to preventing any future dispute.
4- Strengthen cooperation to confront transnational threats and dangers such as organized crime and terrorism.
5- Support post-conflict efforts to restore peace, facilitate reconstruction and prevent the eruption of renewed conflicts.
6- Submit proposals for the establishment of an Arab peace-keeping force whenever necessary.
7- Facilitate humanitarian action and participate in the elimination of effects of disasters, crises and conflicts.
8- Coordinate and cooperate with international and regional organizations to reinforce peace, security and stability in the Arab region and settle disputes between Arab and non-Arab countries.

9- In case of aggravation of a conflict the Council, in addition to the measures it proposes to contain it, may request to hold an extraordinary session of the League's Council to take appropriate decisions thereon.

10- To submit to the first meeting of League's Council, or to its extra-ordinary session as the case may be, a report on the issue together with its
 

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recommendations and proposals for the preservation of peace and security in the Arab world, the disengagement between parties, and the settlement of all related issues; as well as the results of negotiations, good offices, conciliation and mediation efforts that took place.
 

Article VII
 

The organs of the Council will be as follows:
a- Data Bank: The Secretary General will establish, within available resources of the General Secretariat, a data bank to collect information provided by member countries and regional and international organizations to help the Council assess situations and fulfill its duties.


b- Early Warning System: The Secretary General will undertake preparatory work for the establishment of an early warning system. He will be assisted by a group of experts from amongst the staff of the General Secretariat who will regularly analyse available data and information, monitor various elements that may lead to the eruption of conflicts and submit assessment reports thereon to the Council in order to take appropriate action to prevent them.


c- Board Of Wise Personalities: The Council shall establish a Board of wise personalities composed of prominent Arab personalities enjoying appreciation and respect. The Chairperson of the Council and the
Secretary General will designate, from amongst Board members, those who may undertake mediation, conciliation and good offices missions with conflicting parties. The rules of procedure will determine selection modalities of Board members.
The Chairperson of the Council, in coordination with the Secretary General, may charge one or more members of the Board to visit conflict areas at the request and with the approval of the concerned country, to investigate
 

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the situation and assess prevailing conditions and submit proposals and recommendations that may facilitate the work of the Council.
 

Article VIII
 

a- The League's Council will determine issues to be decided upon by the Council and those for which it will submit recommendations to the League's Council for adoption.

b- The League's Council may charge the Council to take the necessary action to restore security in tension areas, including dispatching of civil or military observer missions to these areas with specific mandate.
 

Article IX
 

With a view to organizing its work and forming its organs the Council will draw up its own rules of procedure which will be approved by the League's Council meeting at ministerial level. The Council's recommendations will be taken according to the voting mechanism defined in the Charter.

 

Article X
 

a- The Secretary General, under the supervision of the Council, will take necessary measures and initiatives to implement the recommendations of the Council, aiming at conflict prevention, management and resolution. b- The Council will be financed from the budget of the General Secretariat.
 

Article XI
 

The General Secretariat will act as Technical Secretariat for the Council.
 

Article XII
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The Secretary General, at the request of League's Council meeting at ministerial level, shall inform the Secretary General of the United Nations and the President of the U.N. Security Council of the action taken by the Council.
 

Article XIII
 

The present statutes will be open for signature as soon as it is adopted. It will be then submitted to member states for ratification or adherence according to their constitutional procedures.
 

Article XIV

The present statutes may be amended with the approval of two-thirds of the member states. The amendment enters into force after one month from the date instruments of ratification are deposited by one-third of the member states.
 

Article XV
 

The present statutes will enter into force after fifteen days from the date instruments of ratification of seven member states are deposited with the General Secretariat. For the other countries it will enter into force after one month from the date their instruments of ratification or adherence are deposited with the General Secretariat.
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* All member states signed the present statutes at the closing session of the Council of the League of Arab States meeting at Summit level (18th ordinary session) in Khartoum on 29 March 2006.