Arab leaders adopt Algiers declaration

AMMAN — Arab leaders on Wednesday stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and their support of the Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites and the Jordan’s Jerusalem Awqaf Department in its capacity as the sole legal entity in charge of administering Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif.

In the Algiers Declaration, announced at the end of the 31st Arab summit, Arab leaders also voiced their utmost support for the unalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their rights to self-determination and the establishment of their sovereign, independent state on the pre-1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They also stressed the significance of sustaining endeavours aimed at protecting the occupied city and its holy sites, and defending it against the occupation’s rejected and denounced procedures that aim to change Jerusalem’s demography, its Islamic and Christian Arab identity and its historical and legal status quo.

Arab leaders also called for lifting the Israeli siege on Gaza and condemning the use of force by Israel against Palestinians and all of its barbaric practices, including assassinations and arbitrary arrests, urging Israel to immediately release all prisoners, specifically women, children, the sick and the elderly. 

As for the conditions in other Arab countries, the leaders called for enhancing joint Arab action to protect pan-Arab national security in its comprehensive concept at the political, economic, food, energy, water and environmental levels.

Arab leaders called for contributing to reaching solutions to the crises of some Arab countries in a way that preserves the unity of member states, their sovereignty over their natural resources and meets the aspirations of their peoples to obtain a decent living.

They also called for doubling efforts to realise the pan-Arab economic integration project according to a comprehensive vision that ensures the best utilisation of Arab economies and the “precious” opportunities they provide, with the aim of full activation of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA).

Moreover, they stressed the importance of joining efforts to enhance collective Arab capabilities to respond to prevailing challenges related to food, health, energy and climate change, paying attention to the significance of developing cooperation mechanisms to institutionalise Arab action in these fields.

Regarding international conditions, the declaration stressed that growing tensions in the international arena shed light on structural shortcomings in global governance mechanisms as well as the dire need to address them within a rapprochement that guarantees justice and equality among all countries, and puts a limit on the marginalisation of developing countries.

Arab leaders also stressed the importance for Arab countries to be part of preparing the features of the new international system in the post-COVID-19 world and after the end of the war in Ukraine.