Muslim people live their lives according to the rules and values defined in the holy Quran. In this scripture, life, especially that of the innocent is held in high esteem. Yet, some Muslims ignore the teachings of the Quran. Terrorism threatens not only the lives of the innocent but also the reputation of the Muslim world. Very often, as in other jurisdictions, the whole of the Arab world is judged by the actions of a few loose cannons. The Western world has labelled these terrorists as fundamentalists, yet if they were truly fundamentalists, they would defend the lives of the innocent, and live by the teachings of the prophets.

"to equate Islam and Islamic fundamentalism uncritically with extremism is to judge Islam only by those who wreak havoc - a standard not applied to Judaism and Christianity."(Esposito, p.19)

Unfortunately, for many people, Islam is characterized by the actions of a few extremist organizations. To the Western World, the beauty of Islam is lost. As members of the Arab League, it is your duty to find a solution to these problems, for as long as Muslims are feared, the member nations of the Arab League will never realize their full potential. In order to become a force in the global political arena, Arab nations must dispel the myth that all Muslim nations are hostile.

History of the Problem

The Quran can provide many insights as to how we should treat our fellow man, and how we should deal with the issue of terrorism.

"O believers, be you securers of justice, witness for God. Let not detestation for a people move you not to be equitable; be equitable - that is nearer to God-fearing." (Quran 5:8)

The Islamic belief system has firm guidelines for the sacred nature of human life. A brochure published by the Institute of Islamic Information and Education outlines these mores.

Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot be spilled without justification. And if anyone violates this sanctity of human blood by killing a soul without justification, the Quran equates it to the killing of entire mankind.(Institute of Islamic Information and Education Pamphlet #7 "Human Rights in Islam")

Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century the world has lived in fear of Arab hijackings and bombings. Incidents such as the hijacking of Pan-Am flight 101 and the World Trade Centre bombing, have given Western media the ammunition necessary to establish a false view of the Arab World. Most Arabs live in peace, and follow the words of the Quran. However, they are judged by the actions of those few loose cannons, and the Arab world has been characterized as hostile, unfriendly, and hateful. The only way to counter these beliefs is to start anew.

Through a resolution and co-operation, the Arab League has the potential to brush the incidents of the past under the carpet, slowly rebuilding the world's opinion of Islam. The past cannot be changed. There is nothing we can do to bring back the victims of flight 101, however, by making an effort to prevent such tragedies in the future, we can help to rebuild our reputation, in effect, righting past wrongs.

Issues that a Resolution Must Address

Resolving the problem of terrorism is a delicate undertaking. However, rebuilding the Arab world's reputation is of primary importance. Thus, it is imperative that this topic be effectively dealt with.

The delegate must keep in mind that the co-operation of all Arab League members is necessary if a resolution is to carry any weight. Arab League resolutions are non-binding. As such, any country which does not support a given resolution is not required to enforce its provisions. In a situation like this, any disunity will result in a "useless" resolution.

"Band-Aid" resolutions are also frowned upon. Passing an ineffectual, band-aid resolution will only damage the already tarnished reputation of the Arab League. Diplomats are not ignorant; band-aid solutions are quickly criticized, discredited and discarded in the global political arena. Avoid wasting your time. These issues are political time bombs; with each passing, more lives are lost and your job becomes more difficult.

The morals and practices of the Arab World centre around the Quran. Do not violate the teachings of this book. Resolutions which are in direct conflict with the Quran are doomed to fail. The chairs of the Arab League will take into account your adherence to the ways of Islam, and will steer you away from such fatal errors.

A resolution passed on this topic should deal with: all types of terrorism ( current and

future), reimbursement policies for victims, and some provisions for trying and sentencing of guilty terrorist groups and individuals.

Types of Terrorism

There are many types of terrorism, all of which play on people's greatest fears. Most acts of terrorism involve the threat of direct violence or even death. Terrorists of the future may have access to such tools of mass destruction as nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. In recent years, new types of terrorism have come to the fore.

In the Persian Gulf War, Sadam Hussein used a type of environmental terrorism when he set oil fields ablaze. Any damage done to the environment has direct repercussions on mankind.

Another type of terrorism is electronic terrorism. Society is so dependent upon computers that this type of terrorism is perhaps the most frightening of all. With the push of a button, banks, companies and individuals have the potential to lose everything. In skilled hands, a computer is perhaps the most dangerous weapon of all. For a paltry sum of money, an organization has the ability to do a great deal of damage. (Pentagon Computer Security was cracked with a Commodore 64 and a 300 baud modem.) Even the best encryption algorithms are susceptible when challenged by someone with enough knowledge and resources.

A resolution must be general enough that all acts of terrorism present, and future can be dealt with accordingly, yet not so broad as to allow future governments to try individuals unjustly.

Reimbursement

Fear is a virus; once infected by it, a person can suffer from this ailment for a lifetime. As humanitarians, the members of the Arab League must provide reimbursement plans (both monetary, and psychiatric) for individuals directly affected by acts of terrorism. Since terrorism often transcends borders, this is not an internal affair. There must be a united Arab League policy to reimburse all those, rich or poor, directly affected by terrorism. Of course, in acts of massive terrorism, for example environmental terrorism where every person on Earth is affected, reimbursement is not feasible. It is up to you to determine when, and to what limits a person is eligible for reimbursement. Furthermore, the amount and type of reimbursement may also be discussed.

Trying and Sentencing Terrorists

The last, and most delicate issue is that of trying and reprimanding terrorists. There are four possibilities as to which bodies may be consulted or called upon when a terrorist is brought to trial. First a suspect may be tried by a court in the country where he is arrested. Second, a suspect may be tried by a court in his country of origin. Third, he may be tried by an existing Arab court which is deemed worthy by the Arab League. Last, an entirely new body may be created to deal with terrorists. Similarly, the Arab League must choose a body, from these four choices, which will pass a sentence for convicted terrorists.

Although these issues should be discussed in any resolution passed by this body, they are by no means the only issues which must be dealt with. Feel free to address any issue you deem important or relevant. If you have concerns or questions, your chair is there to help you.

One final word on resolutions, try not to violate foreign policy. It is perhaps the single most important aspect of being a good delegate. By all means, write an excellent resolution but be careful to be true to your country's policy.

Conclusion

Do not be daunted by the breadth of this topic. Through debate, it will become clear what you should address in your resolutions. The recent Oklahoma bombing should be an indication of the seriousness of this topic. When the bombing occurred, what was the Western media's initial reaction? They blamed Islamic terrorists. In actual fact, it was American citizens who committed this heinous crime. This incident does reflect just how feared Muslim terrorists are. It will not be easy to rewrite a reputation which has already been etched in stone.

In the past, the USSR posed a threat to Western security, however, with the crumbling of the Soviet Union, a threat vacuum has formed. The West has been forced to look for new enemies. Unfortunately, the Islamic world has become the outlet for their frustrations and hate. In reality the Islamic world is not a threat, but the difficulty lies in convincing the West of this fact. (Esposito, p. 19) Also, keep in mind that the energy-ravenous West has a big stake in the oil-rich Arab countries, and that, further, as a result, Western strategies and stances to control volume and price of energy will often collide with the vested interests of the League as a whole.

Divide and conquer has been a repeated scenario.

The 1980's were dominated by images of embassies under siege, highjackings and hostages. Many believe that the 90's will be dominated by insurgent militants possessing nuclear weapons, and employing urban terrorism. The Arab League can play a part in seeing that these prophecies are not fulfilled. It is your job to change and safeguard the reputation of the Arab. Through diligent, thoughtful work, we can take the first steps on the path towards global respect, and in the process, saving many lives.

The following articles are an excellent starting point for research on this topic. Also make good use of the Internet. There are excellent WWW pages available, a few of which I have provided. For other pages, do a netsearch, using one of the many available search engines (Web Crawler is my favourite).

Entelis, John. "Political Islam and Algeria: The nonviolent dimension." Current History. vol 94, #588. pp. 13-17.

Esposito, John. "Political Islam: Beyond The Green Menace." Current History. Vol 93, #579. pp. 19-24.

Lewis, Bernard. "Islam and Liberal Democracy." The Atlantic Monthly. February 1993. pp. 89-97.

Sammut, Dennis "Libya and the Islamic Challenge" The World Today. Vol. 50, #10. pp. 198-200

"The Expulsion of the Palestinians: Rabin Shows his True Colours" Middle East International. 1993, #441. pp. 3-4.

This topic may prove to be the most controversial that you have ever had to debate. However, it is a topic that needs to be dealt with in light of the changes which have occurred in basic Muslim ideology in many countries over the past few years. Besides, I really enjoy controversial topics, and noting how delegates deal with them. When discussing this topic, many concessions must be made; it will be the ultimate test of your negotiating skills. Special attention must be paid to the word of the Quran. It is your duty to improve the status of women, but do not overstep the boundaries set by the Quran. An excellent web site for information regarding the status of Muslim women is: http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/home/fevens.

An article, "The Status of Women in Islam" from Islam In Focus by Hammuda Abdul-Ati, Ph.D. clearly outlines a stance regarding women which should be followed by all Muslim nations.

It is not permissible to oppress women, children, old people, the sick or the wounded. Women's honour and chastity are to be respected under all circumstances.

Quite simply, in this debate we will be attempting to put an end to the oppression of women in all Muslim countries. We will analyse the status of women with respect to four key issues: Education, the Legal System, participation in the democratic process, and labour rights.

Although the initial problem seems to have a simple solution, religion and internal policy confuse the issue more than a little. The Quran has very strict boundaries regarding what a woman can and cannot do, and defines her place within society. We will attempt to advance the position of women as far as we can without overstepping these boundaries. It is not our place to challenge the word of God; however, it is our duty to ensure that women are not oppressed.

Our Goal

This issue is a very serious indeed. If the oppression of women in Arab countries continues, there is a possibility of militancy. Bear in mind, the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979 when tens of thousands of women filled the streets of Teheran in opposition to the regime's incursion upon their rights. Although Iran is not a member of the Arab League, the lesson of 1978-79 is no less applicable. We must be careful however not to blindly follow the lead of the West, for their philosophy is often in direct conflict with the doctrine of Islam. We must make concessions without tearing down the society we have taken centuries to build. Herein lies the difficulty of this topic. We must realize that sexual equality is not necessarily sexual equivalency. In the Muslim world, men and women should play an equally important, but different, part in society. Men and women are inherently different, as are their roles, and duties. However, this way of thinking in no way condones oppression.

Our primary focus will not be to tear down Arab society as we know it. Rather, we will be trying to improve it. We seek not to challenge the Quran, only to follow its words more closely. In short, the purpose of this topic will be to draft some sort of guidelines, to be followed by all Arab League nations, regarding the status and role of women within the aforementioned areas. Take note however, that the areas I have outlined are only guidelines. Feel free to deal with other issues which you, the delegate, deem important. However, be sure that the word of God comes first! Do not challenge the foundations of Islam, but improve our modern interpretation of it.

The Current Situation

The current state of this problem is disturbing. Instead of progress in the years since the Persian Gulf War, the situation has regressed. In many countries, women actually enjoy fewer rights than they did before Sadam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. This is a rare and volatile situation which must be resolved. If the Middle East is to be a factor in Global Politics it is necessary that the Arab World constantly evolve. The quality of life in the Middle East should improve over time, not deteriorate.

The Arab World has always tried to find a balance between commitment to modernization and economic development, and commitment to traditional socio-cultural functions. (Seikaly, 416) However, recently this balance has shifted, and women have borne the brunt of this change in priority.

This balance has faced serious challenges since 1983, because of the reversal in the fortunes of the oil-producing nations: prices began to fall, causing socioeconomic inequalities and unrest;....and more recently, the Gulf War caused socio-political as well as psychological dislocations and confusions. The main victims of this unbalance have been women, the weakest element in the social structure, whose problems are most easily ignored, especially their rights and share in development. (Seikaly, 416)

Maintaining the favour of the West has been perhaps the single most dominant force impeding the development of women in recent years. Since the Gulf War, U.S.- sympathetic Arab countries have attempted to maintain stability at the price of backwardness. The Gulf has become far more conservative due to this Western influence. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are primary examples. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have become conservative with respect to both the economy and society. In Egypt, the law governing family and personal rights has been officially abandoned. Some would say that these policies are in direct conflict with the values of Islam.

This system has created superficially modern-looking societies without solving the dilemmas that rapid Western modernization has brought....The power base manipulates the society's perceptions of the cultural value system in a way that serves their own ambitions. (ibid)

While some social commentators have noted that in the past eighteen months, the situation has begun to improve, others would argue differently. Arab countries' devotion to change has been hesitant at best. Recently Bahrain and Kuwait have made minor headway in social reform. Other countries such as Saudi Arabia however, could be classified regressive. Keep in mind that in many countries, there is an illiteracy rate of forty nine percent among women! This figure is even more appalling in rural areas, and poorer countries.

While Arab women are far more fortunate than women of many other countries, we cannot ignore the problems and obstacles they face. There needs to be significant change in Islamic countries' policies toward women. This change starts here.

Issues a Resolution Must Address

As mentioned previously, I will be analysing five key issues, which you should consider, but by which you are not confined. The key to reaching an agreement on any issue concerning this topic will be compromise. Your diplomatic skills will be stretched to the limit. Every member of the Arab League will interpret the status of women differently, thus achieving unanimity will be difficult. However, nothing is impossible, and in this case, unanimity is essential, as Arab League resolutions are non-binding. Thus for a resolution to hold any water, it requires the consent of all member nations.

Education

For the better half of the Twentieth Century, the West has maintained that education is the key to salvation. Now it may be the Arab League's turn to bite the bullet, swallow their pride and agree with the West. Illiteracy rates of up to 49% among Muslim women are unacceptable. Keeping women ignorant will make them neither happy nor obedient. The dictum: "What they don't know can't hurt them" no longer applies. In this day and age, a woman must be literate. Without simple skills such as reading and writing, a woman is unprepared for a world where she could easily become a single parent. The illiterate are both unemployable and helpless.

Furthermore, a married couple should complement each other, working as a team, and carrying equal weight. If a woman depends on her husband for the essentials such as reading and writing, this delicate balance is destroyed.

In terms of the social ladder, the uneducated occupy the bottom rung. If a woman is to hold a position of respect and power in the business world, she requires an education. As it stands the upper tiers of the social ladder are populated almost entirely by men. Women reach a glass ceiling above which they can rise no higher. Without the educational opportunities enjoyed by men, this glass ceiling will not be removed anytime soon.

A resolution should provide some clause ensuring that women receive adequate education. The question which remains outstanding is: What is adequate? Is there any place for women in the high-powered world of business, or should women be required to assume more traditional home-based roles and occupations? These questions will be answered through debate and compromise. It will be up to you as the delegate to define guidelines dealing with the amount and type of education a Muslim woman should receive.

Legal System

How are women seen in the eyes of the law? This is the central question we must deal with when discussing this particular issue. Even when this question is answered, a nagging question remains: How should women be seen in the eyes of the law? There are three basic answers to this question: Equally, Equivalently, and Differently. In order to determine the answer

to this question, we will have to determine which answer offers the least oppression to women, today, and tomorrow.

If women were to be dealt with equally, they would be entitled to precisely the same punishment as a man for precisely the same crime. Judgment would be the same, and sex would no longer play a part in the legal system. Some feminists would argue that this is the best possible solution, but we must ask whether it is in keeping with the Quran or the Muslim interpretation of the male-female relationship.

Muslims see men and women as being equal, but different. Neither man nor woman is more important or superior, both have their own equivalent, but different roles. Should this philosophy be applied to law throughout the nations of the Arab League? If it were applied to the legal system, a man and a woman, convicted of the same crime, would be subject to the equivalent, but different punishments. For example, if a man's sentence is to perform two years of hard labour in a quarry, a woman's punishment might be two years confinement in a garment factory. This method may directly apply accepted beliefs to the legal system, but we must question whether it is correct to do so.

The final option involves developing separate penal codes for men and women. Supporters of this option generally feel that because of their different roles, men and women cannot possibly have the same punishment. For example, a man should have his hand amputated for stealing, but if this punishment were applied to a woman, she would have great difficulty caring for her children. Therefore, she should have a completely different sentence.

As members of the Arab League you will be responsible for drafting legal guidelines, which will be followed by all participating member nations. It will be your responsibility to find the solution to this issue which offers the least oppression for women.

Democracy

Most nations have some form of democratic process, whether it is at the national or municipal level of government. We must determine whether women should be a part of this process, and to what extent.

When a person is given a degree of suffrage, they are given some control over their destiny. They have the chance to make choices, based on their own beliefs, which will directly affect their future. This is the argument generally used by those who believe that Muslim women should be completely enfranchised. In some places women enjoy this right, while in others, women play smaller roles in the democratic process.

Are women who are not enfranchised oppressed? Does enfranchisement conflict with generally accepted Muslim beliefs? These are all questions you will have to deal with in your quest to find a solution to this issue. You will have three basic choices: Complete enfranchisement, partial suffrage, or no input in the democratic process whatsoever.

While the first and last choices are fairly straight-forward, there are many interpretations of partial enfranchisement. Some believe that women should have voting power, but that each of their votes should be less than those of a man. Others believe that women should only be allowed to vote in certain functions; for example, in referendums, but not elections.

It will be up to you to decide how or if we deal with this issue. Once again, this could become a very controversial topic, so try not to be too closed to compromise. If you are too set in your ways, you will be left out of caucuses, and hence the decision making process.

Labour Rights

The final issue which I seek to address is that of Labour Rights. Again, this is a multifaceted situation, a situation where we have many options, and many potential solutions. Once again I will try to guide you through the key questions.

The first question to be addressed is: Should women in Muslim society become members of the workforce, or should they be bound to the home? This leads to the question: Under extenuating circumstances, are there instances when women should work, in order to support and help their family?

In order to go any further in this discussion we must answer the aforementioned questions. Truly the answer decided upon by the committee will be based on Islamic principals. If the discussion goes any further, the central focus of discussion will become the question of woman worker's rights versus those of their male counterparts. Should women receive equal pay and benefits for equivalent work?

Once again, there are two main factions: Those who believe that equal work warrants equal pay and benefits, and those who do not. The former argue that if a woman is a single parent, anything less than equivalent pay places undue stress on both her and her children. The latter group argue that with men as the heads of society they naturally deserve to make more than women, in terms of both pay and benefits.

In order to predict how your nation should respond to these questions, take a look at your labour codes, and how your nation treats migrant workers, strikers and woman workers. From this, you should be able to extrapolate a sense of where your country stands with regard to the issue of woman workers.

Conclusion

You may never have the opportunity to debate something as controversial as this topic again. Use this chance wisely. As a chair, I am concerned that personal emotions will get embroiled within this debate. Don't let your Western views cloud the issue. I am especially concerned that people will forget to check their "everyday" identities at the door, and become offended by a comment regarding the Muslim view of women. Bear in mind that women have a completely different role in the Middle East. They have not gained the same type of rights as women in Western nations enjoy. Nevertheless, this is not to say that I will tolerate overly chauvinistic behaviour. Women still enjoy a great deal of respect in the Middle East. They are seen as mothers and providers, and as such have a certain inherent degree of respect. Also, with respect to female delegates in this simulation, they will at all times be afforded equal privilege and responsibility in debate and it is to be remembered that the speak on behalf of their nation, not self.

Compromise will always be the key to success in this issue. It will be impossible (and foolish) to try to force a resolution through. With all of the different national views on the status of women, caucus positions become unclear. Where Egypt may work with Saudi Arabia in topic 1, they may be at opposite ends of the spectrum here. For each issue within a topic, alignments will change. As such, this is an excellent opportunity to hone your bargaining skills and become a political high roller. The people who control caucuses on this issue will be the ones who are able to see multiple sides of an issue and find some sort of middle ground.

As I have said before, I will be available for questions any time before the conference. Work hard, learn your foreign policy, and above all have some fun with it.

Once again, here are some excellent starting points for your research. The first two articles are in print while the last three can be found at the two WWW sites I described earlier.

Shahidian, Hammed. "The Iranian Left and the "Women Question" and the Revolution of 1979-79". International Journal of Middle East Studies. Vol. 26, #2. pp. 223-247

Seikaly, May. "Women and Social Change in Bahrain" International Journal of Middle East Studies. Vol 26, #3. pp. 414-426.

"Pamphlet 31: Women's Liberation Through Islam" International Intitute of Islamic Information and Education. 1994.

Badawi, Jamal. "Women In Islam". 1994.

"The Status of Women In Islam" from Islam in Focus, 1994.

The creation of the League of Arab States occurred March 22, 1945 in Cairo, Egypt consisting of the seven original members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen. This organization was a compromise to the movement to recreate a united and independent Arab State, incorporating all the Arab countries of Asia. Unfortunately for the supporters of this movement, the cessation of World War I, brought about a peace treaty which divided the Middle East into British and French controlled regions with the exception of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen. By 1943, seven of these countries had attained independence. In the fall of 1944, a meeting was convened in Alexandria, Egypt where the "Alexandria Protocol" was proclaimed, proposing a league of sovereign states.

Today, the League has a membership of 20 countries and a representative from Palestine, chosen by the council:

Algeria Oman

Bahrain Palestine

Djibouti Qatar

Egypt Saudi Arabia

Iraq Somalia

Jordan Sudan

Kuwait Syria

Lebanon Tunisia

Libya United Arab Emirates

Mauritania Yemen

Morocco

Turmoil broke out in 1979 when one of the founding members, Egypt was suspended from the Council in retaliation for the signing of the US-sponsored Camp David Peace Accord between Israel and Egypt. Consequently, the Arab League Headquarters was relocated from Cairo to Tunis, Tunisia. Egypt's readmission and the return to the League's initial site occurred in May of 1989.

The Arab League is comprised of a Council (our simulation), a number of Special Committees (Finance, Health, etc.) and a Permanent Secretariat. The Council's function includes mediation in disputes between two League nations (the Invasion of Kuwait by neighbouring Iraq) or a member nation and an outside state (negotiations between the United States, France and Libya over the extradition of two suspects in the bombing of Pan AM flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.) It also meets to discuss events affecting all members and to draft a common policy on various issues both within and outside of the Middle East region.

The League deems itself a regional organization within the framework of the United Nations at which its secretary-general is an observer. Along with the Arab League, there are three other organizations which are important to our topic areas.

A. Arab Common Market has four signatories (Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Egypt) which provides for the, "free movement of capital and labour between member countries, the establishment of common external tariffs, the co-ordination of economic development and the framing of a common foreign economic policy."

B. Gulf Co-operation Council establishes an armed regional peace-keeping force between the nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Political and Economic co-operation agreements are expected to grow out of this relationship.

C Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), an influential force in any economic or political decision made by the Arab League. Although OPEC is not solely an Arab organization, its Arab members (Algeria, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) are by far the richest members of the Arab League. The principal aims of OPEC include; " unifying the petroleum policies of member countries and determining the best means for safeguarding their interests, individually and collectively; to devise ways and means of ensuring the stabilization of prices in international oil markets with a view to eliminating harmful and unnecessary fluctuations; and to secure a steady income for the producing countries, an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations, and a fair return on their capital to those investing in the petroleum industry."

In layman's terms: get as much money for a barrel of oil as possible.

Council:

Arab Women's Committee

Committee of Arab Experts on Cooperation

Communications Committee

Conference of Liaison Officers

Cultural Committee

Health Committee

Human Rights Committee

Information Committee

Legal Committee

Organization of Youth Welfare

Permanent Committee for Administrative and Financial Affairs

Political Committee

Social Committee

General Secretariat:

Secretary-General: Dr. Ahmad Esmat abd al- Meguid (Egypt)

Assistant Secretary-General for Administrative and Financial Affairs: Ahmad Qadri

Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs: Dr. Yousef Abdel-Wahab Niemat Allah (Saudi Arabia)

Assistant Secretary-General for Information Affairs: Dawo Ali Siwedan (Libya)

Assistant Secretary-General for Arab Affairs: Assad al-Assad (Lebanon)

Assistant Secretary-General for International Affairs: Adnan Omran (Syria)

Assistant Secretary-General for Military Affairs: Muhammad Said ben Hassan el- Berqdar (Syria)

Assistant Secretary-General for Social and Cultural Affairs: Mahdi Mustafa al-Hadi (Sudan)

Assistant Secretary-General, Head of Secretary-General's Office: Ahmad Ibrahim Abdel (Egypt)

Defence and Economic Cooperation Bodies:

Arab Unified Military Command

Economic Council

Joint Defence Council

Permanent Military Commission

Arab Deterrent Force

Other Institutions of the League:

Administrative Tribunal of the Arab League

Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African and Arab Countries

(AFTAAAC)

Special Bureau for Boycotting Israel

Specialized Organizations:

Arab Administrative Development Organization

Arab Centre for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD)

Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization

Arab Labour Organization

Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALESCO)

Arab Maritime Transport Academy, Alexandria

Arab Organization for Agricultural Development

Arab Organization for Social Defense against Crime

Arab Postal Union

Arab Satellite Communication Organization (ARABSAT)

Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU)

Arab Telecommunications Union

Banque arabe pour le developpement economique en Afrique (BANDEA)

(Arab Bank for Economic Development)

Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior

Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Corporation

Other Related Organizations:

Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD)

Arab Monetary Fund

Council for Arab Economic Unity

Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)

Argentina: Gorostiaga 2021, 1426 Buenos Aires

Austria: Grimmelshauengasse 12, 1030 Vienna

Belgium: 106 ave Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels

Brazil: Shis-Qi 15, Conj. 7, Casa 23, 71600 Brasila, DF

Canada: 170 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 604, Ottawa K1P 5VP

Ethiopia: P.O. Box 5768, Addis Ababa

Germany: Friedrich Wilhelm Str. 2A, 5200 Bonn 1

Greece: Martious St., Filothei, Athens

India: A-137 Neeti Bagh, New Delhi 110-049

Italy: Piazzle delle Belle Arti 6, 00196 Rome

Japan: 1-1-12 Moto Asabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106

Kenya: P.O. Box 30770, Nairobi

Russia: 28 Koniouch Kovskaya, Moscow

Senegal: 41 Rue el-Hadji Amadou, Assane Ndoye, Dakar

Spain: Paseo de la Castellana 180, 6o, Madrid 16

Switzerland: 9 rue de la Valais, 1202 Geneva

U.S.A.: 747 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017; 1100 17th Street, NW,

Suite 901, Washington, DC 20036; also offices in Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco