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Primary and Secondary Institutions in Regional International Society: Sovereignty and the League of Arab States

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International Organization in the Anarchical Society

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in International Relations ((PSIR))

Abstract

This chapter argues that the Arab League played an important role in the emergence, consolidation, and change of the principles and practices of Westphalian sovereignty in the Arab interstate society from its foundation in 1945 to the Arab Spring. The first part discusses the impact of the design of the Arab League and its Charter on the emergence of Westphalian sovereignty in the region. The second part discusses how the practices of the Arab League led to the consolidation of Westphalian sovereignty and the decline of Arab nationalism after 1967. The third part examines the Arab League policies during the Arab Spring and their impact on the principles and practices of Westphalian sovereignty in the Arab interstate society.

I use “interstate society” and “international society” interchangeably. Arab interstate society is a regional international society in the Middle East and North Africa whose members are Arab states. Arab states are the 22 member states of the Arab League. I also use “sovereignty” and “Westphalian sovereignty” interchangeably.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Needless to say, the existence or non-existence of regional interstate society within contemporary international society, the relationship between global and regional interstate societies, the relationship among various regional interstate societies, the differences and similarities between regional and international societies, and the maturity of regional international societies are empirical, not theoretical, questions that require vigorous empirical investigations.

  2. 2.

    See also Yannis Stivachtis and his colleagues’ (2015) contributions to the special issue on regional international societies in Global Discourse 5:3.

  3. 3.

    For most recent contributions see Knudsen (2016), Navari (2016), Spandler (2015), Brütsch (2014), and Schouenborg (2011).

  4. 4.

    Exceptions include Keohane (1988), Wendt and Duvall (1989), Hurrell (1993), Evans and Wilson (1992), and Wilson (2012). But these attempts did not give rise to more profound research programs.

  5. 5.

    On pluralism and solidarism, see Jackson (2000), Wheeler (2000), and Buzan (2004, 2014).

  6. 6.

    Arab nationalism is a primary institution in both Arab interstate society and Arab world society (Arab interhuman society). See Buzan and Gonzalez-Pelaez (2009).

  7. 7.

    For copies of the Charter of the Arab League in Arabic, English, and French, see United Nations Treaty Series, Vol. 70 (1950) 237–263.

  8. 8.

    An appendix to the Charter states that non-member Arab countries can participate in the committees of the League. But they have no right to vote in the League Council. Another appendix, which specifically deals with the issue of Palestine, states that the “Council of the League should designate an Arab delegate from Palestine to participate in its work until this country enjoys actual independence” (Charter of the League of Arab States).

  9. 9.

    This is different from the membership rules of the African Union and the Organization of American States, which are based on geography rather than national identity.

  10. 10.

    For the purpose of this chapter, I use “Arab nationalism” and “Pan-Arabism” interchangeably.

  11. 11.

    Only in June 2005 did the Arab League and IGC reached an agreement on opening a permanent office of the League in Baghdad (Al-Marashi, 146).

  12. 12.

    Egypt resumed its activity at the African Union a year after the membership was frozen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State University of New York at Geneseo, NY, USA

    Raslan Ibrahim

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  1. Raslan Ibrahim
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Tonny Brems Knudsen

  2. University of Buckingham, Buckingham, UK

    Cornelia Navari

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Ibrahim, R. (2019). Primary and Secondary Institutions in Regional International Society: Sovereignty and the League of Arab States. In: Brems Knudsen, T., Navari, C. (eds) International Organization in the Anarchical Society. Palgrave Studies in International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71622-0_12

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