The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, at the preparatory meeting of Arab foreign ministers ahead of the Arab League Summit in Doha, yesterday.
DOHA: The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, yesterday made a fervent call to reform the Arab League and said it should be the voice of the Arab people and not just a platform of interaction for Arab governments.
Making a case for a complete overhaul of the Arab League, the Premier said it must be an institution that takes into account the aspirations of the Arab people.
“This is an important issue which must be taken up with utmost urgency,” the PM said, arguing in favour of the League’s reform ahead of the Arab Summit that is being held here tomorrow and the day after, which is all set to take up the issue of reform for threadbare discussion.
The PM was addressing a key preparatory meeting of Arab foreign ministers whose task was to finalise the agenda of the Summit.
Importantly, the meet did list the reform of the League as one of the five key issues facing the Arab world which are likely to be discussed by Arab leaders at their two-day Summit.
“If we want that Arab states work closely with one another effectively. If we want new perspectives to inspire us, if we want the Arab League to be a modern institution that is capable of coping with the changes taking places in the region and the rest of the world, then we must reform the organization.”
It is important that the League takes into account the aspirations of the Arab people and becomes their voice and not just remain the voice of the governments, said the PM.
He also stressed the importance of the League attaching more importance to civil societies, and said in the context of his call for its overhaul that the Arab League’s Convention must be reviewed.
Earlier, talking about the Arab Summit, he said it was being held at a crucial time when Arab nations were facing a host of challenges. People’s expectations are pinned on the Summit, the
PM noted.
The PM said the Palestinian issue was and will remain the central Arab cause until reaching a just, lasting and comprehensive solution that achieves the full legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In this regard, he said Israel had nothing but to accept this solution if it wanted peace and must possess the real will to achieve it.
The Prmeier said Israel’s repeated violation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque’s sanctity, aggression on worshippers inside it, the intensification of settlement activities in the occupied territories, the continued policy aimed to Judaise Jerusalem and wipe out its Islamic and Arab identity are illegal practices contravening international law and will exacerbate tension in the region.
He called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and compel Israel to stop its serious violations and respond to Palestinian and Arab desire to achieve peace.
The PM said the Syrian crisis in all its humanitarian, political and security dimensions had serious repercussions not only for Syria, but also the whole region.
He called in this context for a strong Arab stand with the brotherly Syrian people who are fighting for freedom, dignity and social justice with millions of its citizens displaced inside and outside of Syria in one of the largest humanitarian tragedies in history while the UN Security Council was unable to carry out its duty and responsibility towards a people being subjected to genocide and annihilation.
He praised the efforts of Muaz Al Khatib, president of the National Coalition for Opposition Forces and the Syrian Revolution, and said he welcomed the election of Ghassan Hito as president of the Interim Syrian Government. It is important step in the context of transitional arrangements in Syria. The summit, he said, will discuss a number of issues concerning the Arab world at a delicate time where large hopes are pinned on it.
Touching upon economic issues, the PM said the people were pinning their hopes on the Summit to take effective steps in the direction of economic integration among Arab countries, Qatar News Agency reported.
