As the 25th Arab Summit held in Kuwait on 25 and 26 March grappled with regional traumas on more than one front, top officials from most Gulf countries stayed away in order not to make a difficult situation worse. For the past few weeks, differences among the Gulf countries over Syria, Egypt and other thorny issues in the region have soured relations among the region's oil-rich states, precluding unified action on some of the region's most intractable problems. But Arab diplomats struggled on, trying to mend fences, unruffle political feathers, and keep the worst squabbles from the conference's main hall. Over the past few years, the Arab League has been much criticised for its apparent inability to avert conflagrations in various countries. Much of the criticism has not been due to the lack of effort on the part of league officials, but to the limitations of the organisation's bylaws, structure and methods. One way of empowering the League would be through rewriting its bylaws and restructuring its institutions, and proposals to this effect are currently being drawn up. Arab diplomats say that the next Arab Summit, due to be held in Cairo in March 2015, will address the multi-faceted process of league reform. Fadel Jawwad, Arab League assistant secretary-general for political affairs, said that reform was overdue. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Jawwad said that there was a need to review the organisation's performance in view of its decision-making and mandate, so as to allow it to become as effective as the EU. If Arab countries opt for economic unity, this will bolster their political status and bring vitality to the Arab regional system, Jawwad pointed out. The league must be freed from the need for unanimous decision-making, which gives each member veto power over league decisions, he added. Some countries also still believe that the organisation's secretary-general does not have the right to issue statements without prior approval from individual governments, Jawwad remarked. If the Arab countries continue to see the Arab League as a mere secretariat, the organisation will remain weak and indecisive. For the league to become more effective, its chief should have powers equivalent to those of the president of the European Commission, he said. Since its formation in 1945, the Arab League has focused on political issues. Now it is trying to assert itself on the economic front as well. In 2009, Kuwait proposed the creation of a fund to finance small and medium-sized projects. Arab countries have contributed US$1.3 billion to the fund, which has started operating in various countries. Other proposals include the formation of an Arab Banking Commission to facilitate inter-Arab trade and investment. Plans to enhance cooperation in energy, humanitarian relief, roads, and electric grids are also in the works. The league plans to launch a free-trade zone next year. Sabah Al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the emir of Kuwait who was hosting the summit, has also been trying to solve current problems without treading on the region's multiple political sensibilities. Al-Sabah has been trying to mediate several Arab disputes at once – one between Qatar and Egypt, another between Qatar and several other Gulf states, and a third between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Ahead of the summit, an attempt was made to arrange a meeting between Egyptian President Adli Mansour and Qatari emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. These efforts were not fruitful. Speaking to journalists, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi ruled out the possibility of immediate reconciliation between Egypt and Qatar, saying that Doha did not seem to be interested in changing its policies towards Egypt. Some of the heads of state of the Gulf countries, perhaps weary of inter-Arab tensions, decided to send their top aides to the summit instead of attending in person. Saudi Arabia was represented by Crown Prince Soliman Bin Abdel-Aziz, and Bahrain sent Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad. The UAE dispatched the ruler of Fujeirah, Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohamed Al-Sharqi. Oman's delegation was led by Asaad Bin Tareq Al-Said, who is secretary-general of the country's Higher Committee for Conferences. Qatar, in contrast, seemed comfortable with its ruler, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, attending in person. Arab sources said that the low-level representation of the Gulf states at the summit was motivated by the desire to reduce the chances of confrontation, thus sparing the Kuwaiti hosts the inconvenience of having to calm nerves in the middle of the high-level event. Of the wide spectrum of issues on the minds of league officials, only a few made it onto the agenda of the summit: Palestine, Syria, Arab League reform, and help to the countries of the Arab Spring. In its final statement, called the Kuwait Declaration, the participants promised support for the Palestinians in the current peace talks, while calling for the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital. Saudi Arabia wanted to increase the capital of the Aqsa and Jerusalem Funds, created in March 2010 with a capital of US$2 billion. But until all Arab countries pay their share of the capital, this proposal has been put on hold.
