10 - 16 January 2002
Issue No.568
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 10 - 16 January 2002 Issue No.568 |
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Moussa's new year resolutions
The Arab League is greeting the new year with impressive aims to meet great challenges, but can it deliver? Dina Ezzat reports
The Arab League is entering the new year with an ambitious agenda. Secretary-General Amr Moussa told reporters this week that 2002 should see more pan- Arab solidarity and a revamping of the Arab League itself.
Achieving such objectives will be no small feat, however, and many question the feasibility of such grandiose aims. There is much to be done on both administrative and political fronts.
On the administrative side of things, Moussa will have to deliver on his proposal for widespread reform of the Arab League and its many institutions. This will mean cutting down on staff, increasing recruitment standards, modernising official job descriptions and re-organising the departments of the League.
At a press conference earlier this week, Moussa told reporters that his restructuring plan would be published this month and be put into effect within a few weeks. "The League will no longer be a storehouse for unqualified employees who cannot handle the highly technical issues of our times," enthused Moussa. "When aiming at unifying customs tariffs among Arab states or taking the necessary political and legal measures to free the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction, we need to use highly qualified people who do not necessarily need to be given lifetime positions. Staff could instead be contracted for a certain period of time only," Moussa said. He conceded that extra funding would be necessary to provide severance pay for those being laid off, and pay salaries for new recruits. "I have spoken with member states about establishing a fund for this and I am convinced that without such a measure our work would be hampered," he said.
Other proposals on the cards include new prime ministerial meetings for the Social and Economic Council, a move still being discussed by the member states.
Another possibility is the designation of commissioners who could undertake specific responsibilities relating only to a certain portfolio. Earlier this week, Moussa appointed prominent Egyptian thinker Ahmed Kamal Abul-Magd as the organisation's commissioner for dialogue of civilisations; Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestinian Council, already holds the title of commissioner for Arab media affairs; and Taher El- Masri has been given the job of commissioner for civil society affairs.
Simply assigning these new commissioners does not mean that Moussa's mission has been accomplished, however. The credibility of the reform programme will depend on their performing well, and so far Ashrawi and El-Masri "have done very little if anything," according to some commentators.
Reform may be essential for improving the performance of the Arab League but it is far from the most difficult part of Moussa's mission for 2002. The secretary-general's political and economic plans may prove to be much more of a challenge.
Ever since he took office as secretary-general in May last year, Moussa has been hinting at an Arab economic conference including both officials and businessmen. He is also aiming at overcoming Arab political disputes such as the Iraqi-Kuwaiti standoff and agreeing on a unified Arab vision for the Arab- Israeli conflict. None of these are proving to be an easy task.
The Arab economic conference -- an Egyptian proposition which received the green light from the Arab Summit last March -- is now due to take place in June, after being postponed due to recent international developments. Its success will depend on the willingness of Arab governments to take the necessary measures for inter-Arab trade and investment, something which, historically, has been easier said than done.
Arab reconciliation will be even more of an uphill struggle, however. Motivated by either realism or prudence, Moussa does not use the word "reconciliation" as such. The secretary-general seems to prefer the phrase "improving inter-Arab relations."
Most Arab diplomats associated with the Iraq-Kuwait affair feel that the time is not yet ripe for reconciliation, and Moussa, who this week announced that he will soon visit Baghdad for talks with top Iraqi officials, is not offering up any details about his intention to discuss potential reconciliation steps. "Iraq is a member state of the Arab League, and as the organisation's new secretary-general it is my duty to visit Baghdad like any other Arab capital," was the only comment that Moussa made in this respect.
Baghdad is not an Arab capital "like any other," however -- at least not in the eyes of Arab rulers or key international players in the Middle East. Moussa's upcoming visit may signal to the world, particularly Washington, that Arab countries do not approve of subjecting Baghdad to military operations as part of the declared "US war against terrorism." Nevertheless, Moussa's visit does not necessarily mean that Baghdad is seen to be like any other capital. "Not with Saddam Hussein in office," commented one Kuwaiti diplomat. Although it is true that no Arab country wants to see Iraq subject to any military action, "nobody is prepared to have anything to do with Saddam Hussein," according to one Saudi diplomat.
The prospects for a unified Arab approach to the current Israeli government may be not as bleak, however. That said, achieving a consensus will be no walk in the park. If the several recent meetings of Arab foreign ministers -- particularly the latest on 20 December -- are anything to go by, key players Syria and Egypt strongly disagree on the future of Arab-Israeli relations. Cairo has sent its foreign minister to Tel-Aviv and is playing host to Israeli political figures; Damascus, meanwhile, is lobbying for the Arab boycott on Israel to be re-enforced. The situation is further complicated by the separate political disputes both Syria and Egypt have with the Palestinian Authority.
Moussa's ability to deliver on these and many other promises will determine the level of support for his reforms at the next Arab summit. Before this can happen, Arab states have to agree on a venue and date for the summit -- which is itself the subject of many political debates.
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