Cairo / Information Office / March 03  

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani chaired the 155th session of the Council of the Arab League at the ministerial level, which kicked off on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo.

The meetings of this session discuss the draft agenda and approval of decisions submitted by the permanent delegates during their meeting that was held on Monday with the State of Qatar presiding over the meeting.

The draft agenda consisted of nine main items, at the forefront of which was joint Arab action, the Palestinian cause, and the Arab-Israeli conflict item which includes following the political developments of the Palestinian cause and the Arab-Israeli conflict, activating the Arab Peace Initiative, the Israeli developments and violations in Occupied Al Quds, in addition to a follow-up on the budget of the State of Palestine and the resilience of the Palestinians, the Arab Water Security and Israel's stealing of the water on the occupied Arab lands.

The draft agenda also includes solidarity with Lebanon, discussing the latest developments in Syria, Libya and Yemen, security of navigation and energy supplies in the Arab Gulf region, and supporting peace and development in Sudan, which fall under the item on the Arab affairs and the Arab national security.

Among the items is another on international political affairs, which includes the danger of Israel armaments that threatens the Arab national security and international peace, and the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (NWFZ) which would also be free of any other mass destruction weapons in the Middle East.

The item on international political affairs also includes Arab affairs with regional and international gatherings, such as the process of Arab-African cooperation and Arab-European dialogue, and the cooperation between the Arab League, the United Nations and the UN Security Council.

The agenda also included an item on supporting the internally displaced people in the Arab countries, particularly the Iraqi displaced people, and the draft Arab strategy to prevent and combat all forms of violence against refugees, especially sexual violence against women and underage girls, in addition to the draft strategy of the Arab Women Mediators Network and the amendment of the Arab Human Rights Committee (AHRC) name to the Arab Charter on Human Rights.

Topics on legal affairs included international terrorism and ways of combating it, as well as maintaining Arab national security and combating terrorism, and developing the Arab system for combating terrorism.

The Arab Prime Ministers held a consultative meeting before the beginning of the 155th session of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, to coordinate positions regarding the main topics on the agenda, with the attendance of HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.