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The Arab League Council, at the level of permanent representatives, strongly condemned Israel’s recognition on December 26 of the secession of Somalia’s northwestern region, known as “Somaliland”, describing the move as driven by political, security and economic agendas that are categorically rejected.In a statement issued at the conclusion of an extraordinary session held at the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo, convened at the request of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Council rejected any measures arising from what it described as an invalid recognition. It warned against attempts to exploit northern Somali ports for military purposes or to facilitate plans aimed at the forced displacement of the Palestinian people.The Council reaffirmed the longstanding Arab position, as enshrined in Arab League resolutions and international charters, that the northwestern region of Somalia is an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia. It rejected any attempt to recognise its secession, directly or indirectly.The statement said the Israeli move formed part of broader efforts to undermine international peace and security and violate Arab national security, calling for legal, political, economic and diplomatic measures in response.The Council expressed full support for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability, and for the Federal Government’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty on land, sea and air. It affirmed Somalia’s right to legitimate self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter and pledged support for any lawful measures Somalia may take to counter aggression.The Arab League also declared its full solidarity with Somalia’s position that any recognition of the so-called “Somaliland” is null and void, unacceptable, and a blatant violation of international law. Such actions, it said, constitute interference in Somalia’s internal affairs and risk destabilising Somalia, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa.The Council warned that these actions represent a dangerous attempt to reshape the geopolitical landscape of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and called on the international community to confront them as a threat to regional and global peace, freedom of navigation and international trade.It also reiterated its categorical rejection of any displacement of the Palestinian people or attempts to alter the demographic composition of Palestinian territory, describing such actions as grave violations of international law. In this context, it rejected the use of Somali territory to advance such plans.The Council further opposed the use of any part of Somali territory by external actors for hostile or intelligence activities targeting other states. It called for cooperation with Somalia, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2025–2026, to secure international resolutions affirming Somalia’s unity and sovereignty and rejecting the Israeli recognition as null and void.The Arab League requested its ambassadors in major international capitals to convey the statement to relevant governments and organisations, highlighting the serious political and security implications of the move.It also urged all states and international and regional organisations to refrain from any official or semi-official dealings with the authorities of the northwestern region outside the framework of Somali sovereignty, stressing that any violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity constitutes an act of aggression under international law. 

The Arab League has called out the decision taken by the Security Cabinet of the Israeli occupation state to endorse the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. In a statement Monday, the Arab League stressed that this move lays bare a brazen challenge to the international will that opposes the settlement and constitutes a breach of international law, confirming the illegitimacy of these settlements. The apparent expansion of this unlawful settlement is carried out with the intent of preventing the establishment of a continuous Palestinian state geographically, reflecting the nature of the Israeli government controlled by extremists and settlers, the statement concluded. The statement further emphasised that this expansion will never make settlements legitimate whatsoever, and that the violence unleashed by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank is a kind of terror practised under the eyes of the occupation state and protected by its official apparatus. 

Qatar took part in an event organised Sunday by the General Secretariat of the Arab League at its headquarters in Cairo to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the Arab League, Maryam Ahmed al-Shaibi, led Qatar’s delegation to the event.The event was held in response to the UNGA resolution issued in 1977 to revive this day annually, with the aim of reaffirming the just Palestinian cause and standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle to end the occupation and restore freedom and independence.It underscores their independent and sovereign statehood, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.Overall, the event featured solidarity speeches and the screening of a short film prepared by the General Secretariat, showcasing the plight of the Palestinian people, marked by decades-long ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and deprivation of their right to self-determination due to the long-standing injustice caused by the persistent Israeli occupation.The event was intended to highlight the role of those who stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights across the world, in addition to their steadfast commitment to the principles of humanity, justice, and respect for human rights.Alongside this event, a fine art exhibition was staged, featuring photographs spotlighting the Palestinian cause, in collaboration with the General Secretariat and the Permanent Mission of the State of Palestine to the Arab League.The event also included the honouring of several institutions in recognition of their efforts to support the Palestinian people, as well as some segments of the Palestinian community for their resilience and sacrifices. 

The State of Qatar participated in the annual ministerial consultative meeting of the Council of the Arab League at the level of foreign ministers, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The State of Qatar's delegation was headed by His Excellency Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi.

The Arab League today welcomed the overwhelming adoption by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of a draft resolution endorsing the 'New York Declaration', issued last July, which supports the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. In a statement, Secretary-General of the League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the strong majority in favor of the resolution reflects a growing international consensus on the urgent need to implement the two-state solution, adding that countries which chose not to support the resolution are placing themselves on the wrong side of history. He added that the General Assembly's adoption of the resolution reinforces the outcomes of the recent conference focused on the two-state solution, and significantly contributes to building international momentum - particularly as several countries prepare to formally recognize the State of Palestine in the coming days, coinciding with the high-level summit on September 22.

The Arab League has condemned, in the strongest terms, the Israeli attack on Tuesday against civilian residential premises in Doha.In a statement, the Arab League stressed that this targeting constitutes an egregious and entirely rejected breach of the State of Qatar's sovereignty, which has sought since the start of the war on Gaza, alongside Egypt and the United States, to mediate a ceasefire and has exerted significant and sincere efforts aimed at bringing the ongoing war Israel continues to wage in Gaza to a close.The Arab League expressed its solidarity with the State of Qatar in the face of this flagrant assault on its sovereignty and affirmed support for any measures it takes to protect its sovereignty and security.It stressed that Israeli conduct has veered outside every established international norm and all the tenets of binding international law, placing a clear responsibility on the international community to confront a state that mocks the law and disregards the consequences of its reprehensible actions.

HE the Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi has lauded the Arab League Council of Ministers' unanimous approval of the State of Qatar's proposal to establish the Permanent Arab Committee for International Humanitarian Law.This move represents an Arab milestone and a significant advancement in boosting cooperation to promote the values of humanitarian law and compliance with the tenets of international humanitarian law in the Arab region amid the challenges besetting the region, HE Al Mohannadi underlined.He lavished praise on the efforts made by the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law, chaired by HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice and Chairman of the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law Saeed bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi, along with its success in the productive coordination with national committees in the sisterly Arab nations to develop a draft proposal for establishing the committee in a manner that meets the aspirations of the Arab states.Having praised the support given by the General Secretariat of the Arab League and the Legal Affairs Sector to adopt this draft proposal, HE Al Mohannadi stated that Qatar's proposal in this respect underscores its enduring commitment to essentially respect the tenets of international humanitarian law, promote the provisions of this law on the Arab stage, as well as the efforts aimed at enforcing it at multiple national levels, in accordance with the provisions of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols of 1977, and the regional action plans of the relevant Arab national committees.For his part, HE Al Suwaidi hailed the approval of Qatar's proposal, emphasizing that the national committee took the initiative with this proposal, stemming from the State of Qatar's belief and its unwavering commitment to international humanitarian law embodied by the nation's leading initiatives to craft national legislations and establish a national committee related to international humanitarian law.He extended his gratitude to national committees in the Arab countries and the Arab League's Legal Affairs Sector for their support, applauding their efforts to approve this proposal.This approval honestly ushers in a new era in the march of joint Arab action, as the committee operates under the supervision of the Arab League's council at the ministerial level to coordinate this action among the national committees in the area of international humanitarian law as the competent apparatus in connection with the topics of international humanitarian law at the Arab League, Al Suwaidi underlined.He pointed out that the committee ought to contribute to beefing up collaboration among the Arab national committees, spreading the culture of international humanitarian law, capitalizing on diverse experiences, and setting technical support plans and programs, as well as holding professional training sessions, seminars, and workshops in collaboration with the relevant regional committees and organisations.

The Arab League has said that peaceful coexistence in the Middle East cannot be achieved without a Palestinian state and an end to what it described as Israel's "hostile practices".In a resolution submitted by Egypt and Saudi Arabia and adopted on Thursday, the League said that "the failure to reach a just solution to the Palestinian cause and the hostile practices of the occupying power" remain major obstacles to "peaceful coexistence" in the region.The resolution was part of a wider meeting in Cairo which wrapped up yesterday with Arab foreign ministers endorsing a "Joint Vision for Security and Co-operation in the region".The Arab League affirmed support for the joint Qatari-Egyptian efforts aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement and restoring normal life in the Gaza Strip.The meeting came as Israeli forces intensified their military offensive around Gaza City — the territory's largest urban centre — and just days after Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for annexation of swathes of the West Bank to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state".In the resolution, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, the Arab League said that lasting peace, co-operation and coexistence in the Middle East are not possible while Israel continues to occupy Arab land or "issues implicit threats to occupy or annex further Arab lands".In its resolution, the League said any lasting settlement must be based on a two-state solution and the 2022 Arab Peace Initiative, which offers a full normalisation of relations in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in 1967.

Qatar participated in the 164th session of the Council of the Arab League at the Ministerial Level, held at the headquarters of the Arab League's General Secretariat in Cairo. HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi led Qatar's delegation at the meeting.

The State of Qatar participated in the Ministerial Meeting of the Economic and Social Council in its regular 116th session, which was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League in the Arab Republic of Egypt.Deputy Undersecretary for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Saud bin Abdullah Al Attiyah, represented the State of Qatar in the meeting.The agenda of this session included a number of important items, such as the economic and social file of the Council of the League of Arab States at the summit level (35), the latest developments regarding the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, and progress on the Arab Customs Union.The meeting also included discussions on the Arab platform for small and medium-sized enterprises, support for the Palestinian economy, as well as the unified Arab statement for the 2025 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.In addition, the session addressed matters related to Arab organisations and institutions of joint Arab action, investment in Arab countries, and sustainable development, along with the follow-up on the implementation of the resolutions from the 115th session of the Economic and Social Council, as well as other economic and social topics included on the agenda.Qatar's participation comes within the framework of its commitment to strengthening joint Arab economic and social cooperation, supporting efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development, and deepening integration among Arab countries across various areas of mutual interest.