The Alexandria Protocol
(October 7, 1944)
The undersigned, chiefs and members of Arab delegations at the Preliminary
Committee of the General Arab Conference, viz:
THE PRESIDENT OF THE PRELIMINARY COMMITTEE
H.E. Mustafa Al-Nahhas Pasha, Egyptian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign
Affairs; head of the Egyptian delegation;
SYRIAN DELEGATION
H.E. Sa’dallah Al-Jabiri, Syrian Prime Minister and head of the Syrian
delegation;
H.E. Jamil Mardam Bey, Minister of Foreign Affairs;
H.E. Dr. Nagib Al-Armanzani, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Syrian
Republic;
H.E. M. Sabri Al-’Asali, deputy of Damascus;
TRANS-JORDANIAN DELEGATION
H.E. Tawfiq Abul-Huda Pasha, Trans-Jordanian Prime Minister and Minister
of Foreign Affairs, head of the Trans-Jordanian delegation;
H.E. Sulayman Sukkar Bey, Financial Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs;
IRAQI DELEGATION
H.E. Hamdi Al-Bahjaji, Iraqi Prime Minister and head of the Iraqi
delegation;
H.E. Arshad Al-’Umari, Minister of Foreign Affairs;
H.E. Nuri Al-Sa’id, former Iraqi Prime Minister;
H.E. Tahsin Al-’Askari, Iraqi Minister Plenipotentiary in Egypt;
LEBANESE DELEGATION
H.E. Riyad Al-Sulh Bey, Lebanese Prime Minister and head of the Lebanese
delegation;
H.E. Salim Taqla Bey, Minister of Foreign Affairs;
H.E. Musa Mubarak, Chief of the Presidential Cabinet;
EGYPTIAN DELEGATION
H.E. Nagib Al-Hilali Pasha, Minister of Education;
H.E. Muhammad Sabri Aub-’Alam Pasha, Minister of Justice;
H.E. Muhammad Salah-al-Din Bey, Under Secretary of State of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.
Anxious to strengthen and consolidate the ties which bind all Arab
countries and to direct them toward the welfare of the Arab world, to improve
its conditions, insure its future, and realize its hopes and
aspirations,
And in response to Arab public opinion in all Arab
countries
Have met at Alexandria from Shawwal 8, 1363 (September 25, 1944)
to Shawwal 20, 1363 (October 7, 1944) in the form of a Preliminary Committee
of the General Arab Conference, and have agreed as follows:
1. LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES
A League will be formed of the independent Arab States which consent
to join the League. It will have a council which will be known as the "Council
of the League of Arab States" in which all participating states will be
represented on an equal footing.
The object of the League will be to control the execution of the agreements
which the above states will conclude; to hold periodic meetings which will
strengthen the relations between those states; to coordinate their political
plans so as to insure their cooperation, and protect their independence and
sovereignty against every aggression by suitable means; and to supervise
in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries.
The decisions of the Council will be binding on those who have accepted
them except in cases where a disagreement arises between two member states
of the League in which the two parties shall refer their dispute to the Council
for solution. In this case the decision of the Council of the League will
be binding.
In no case will resort to force to settle a dispute between any two
member states of the League be allowed. But every state shall be free to
conclude with any other member state of the League, or other powers, special
agreements which do not contradict the text or spirit of he present
dispositions.
In no case will the adoption of a foreign policy which may be prejudicial
to the policy of the League or an individual member state be allowed.
The Council will intervene in every dispute which may lead to war between
a member state of the League and any other member state or power, so as to
reconcile them.
A subcommittee will be formed of the members of the Preliminary Committee
to prepare a draft of the statutes of the Council of the League and to examine
the political questions which may be the object of agreement among Arab
States.
2. COOPERATION IN ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND OTHER
MATTERS
A. The Arab States represented on the Preliminary Committee shall closely
cooperate in the following matters:
(1) Economic and financial matters, i.e., commercial exchange, customs,
currency, agriculture, and industry.
(2) Communications, i.e., railways, roads, aviation, navigation, posts and
telegraphs.
(3) Cultural matters.
(4) Questions of nationality, passports, visas, execution of judgments,
extradition of criminals, etc.
(5) Social questions.
(6) Questions of public health.
B. A subcommittee of experts for each of the above subjects will be
formed in which the states which have participated in the Preliminary Committee
will be represented. This subcommittee will prepare draft regulations for
cooperation in the above matters, describing the extent and means of that
collaboration.
C. A committee for coordination and editing will be formed whose object
will be to control the work of the other subcommittees, to coordinate that
part of the work which is accomplished, and to prepare drafts of agreements
which will be submitted to the various governments.
D. When all the subcommittees have accomplished their work the Preliminary
Committee will meet to examine the work of the subcommittees as a preliminary
step toward the holding of a General Arab Conference.
3. CONSOLIDATION OF THESE TIES IN THE FUTURE
While expressing its satisfaction at such a happy step, the Committee
hopes that Arab States will be able in the future to consolidate that step
by other steps, especially if post-war events should result in institutions
which bind various Powers more closely together.
4. A SPECIAL RESOLUTION CONCERNING LEBANON
The Arab States represented on the Preliminary Committee emphasize their
respect of the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon in its present frontiers,
which the governments of the !above States have already recognized in consequence
of Lebanon's adoption of an independent policy, which the Government of that
country announced in its program of October 7, 1943, unanimously approved
by the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies.
5. A SPECIAL RESOLUTION CONCERNING PALESTINE
A. The Committee is of the opinion that Palestine constitutes an important
part of the Arab World and that the rights of the Arabs in Palestine cannot
be touched without prejudice to peace and stability in the Arab World.
The Committee also is of the opinion that the pledges binding the British
Government and providing for the cessation of Jewish immigration, the
preservation of Arab lands, and the achievement of independence for Palestine
are permanent Arab rights whose prompt implementation would constitute a
step toward the desired goal and toward the stabilization of peace and
security.
The Committee declares its support of the cause of the Arabs of Palestine
and its willingness to work for the achievement of their legitimate aim and
the safeguarding of their just rights.
The Committee also declares that it is second to none in regretting
the woes which have been inflicted upon the Jews of Europe by European
dictatorial states. But the question of these Jews should not be confused
with Zionism, for there can be no greater injustice and aggression than solving
the problem of the Jews of Europe by another injustice, i.e., by inflicting
injustice on the Arabs of Palestine of various religions and
denominations.
B. The special proposal concerning the participation of the Arab Governments
and peoples in the "Arab National Fund" to safeguard the lands of the Arabs
of Palestine shall be referred to the committee of financial and economic
affairs to examine it from all its angles and to submit the result of that
examination to the Preliminary Committee in its next meeting.
In faith of which this protocol has been signed at Faruq I University
at Alexandria on Saturday, Shawwal 20, 1363 (October 7, 1944).
Sources: League of Arab States |