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Under the chairmanship of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, the 33rd Arab League Summit convened at the Sakhir Palace in Manama in May 2024.
“The summit is being convened today amid extremely complex regional and international situations, devastating wars, heart-wrenching humanitarian crises, and threats targeting the identity, security, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of our nation [the Arab community],” Bahrain’s King said in his opening remarks.
“With the continuation of these threats surrounding our Arab community, the magnitude of the responsibility placed on us to protect our common path and to open a new page of stability and development is increasing.”
The summit was attended by dignitaries who included heads of Arab states, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
Leaders discussed eight key topics, including issues related to joint Arab action in political, economic, social, cultural, information and security aspects, as well as Arab cooperation with international and regional organizations.
In his speech, the U.N. secretary-general, pledging to provide support, urged Arab states to unite in this perilous time to address regional challenges.
“There is no better moment for the Arab region to come together. Unity and solidarity throughout the Arab world would amplify the vital voice of the region and further boost your influence on the global stage,” Guterres said. “It can help this region find peace, make the most of its enormous potential, and further contribute to the global good. In all this work, you can count on the United Nations, and on me personally, for our support and partnership.”
The Kingdom of Bahrain presented to Arab leaders a multifaceted initiative and vowed to collaborate with the Arab league and U.N. to realize it.
The initiative called for a peace conference to end wars, educational and medical aid for people in conflict regions, a regional push to develop pharmaceutical and vaccine industries, and cooperation among Arab states to push technological and financial innovation.
Sources: alkhaleej.net, al-Arabiya.net, U.N.