The idea of establishing an inclusive representative institution within the framework of the League of Arab States dates back to the mid-1950s, since the League's Secretariat General made proposals in 1955 for the amendment of the Charter, including the addition of a new entity in a form of a popular assembly, which has not been approved at that time. However, the idea of establishing an Arab Parliament remained subject to discussion and deliberation and it has not been out of the initiatives to reform the League of Arab States system, and was subject to substantial interest of Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union and conformed with orientations of the Arab League, and they cooperated in common rules-setting of the proposal of establishing the Arab Parliament, which was the basis for the subsequent Arab Summit resolutions concerning the establishment of the Arab Parliament under Resolution (292) issued by the 17th Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at Summit Level, held in Algeria on 23th March 20005. That summit approved several amendments to the Charter of the League of Arab States, particularly developing and adding article 19 to the Charter, pursuant to Resolution (292) of the said summit reading: " an Arab Parliament shall be established within the framework of the League of Arab States and its statue shall determine the composition, functions and powers of the Arab Parliament "
That Summit also approved the statute of the Arab Parliament, article (1) of which provided that " An Arab Parliament shall be established for a term of five years, which may be extended for two years as a maximum from the date of its first convening, as a transitional phase towards the establishment of a permanent Arab Parliament and the transitional Arab Parliament has already begun its work on 26th-27th December 2005.
On 28th March 2010, the 22nd Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at Summit Level held in Sirte, Libya, issued the Resolution 501, extending the Transitional Arab Parliament for two years to complete the legal frameworks and the statute of the permanent Parliament.
On 29th March 2012, the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Council of the League of Arab States at Summit Level held in Baghdad, Iraq, issued Resolution 559 which adopted the statutes of the Arab Parliament where the principles of shura and democracy, freedom and human rights are practiced", as a tool for dialogue, decision making, a popular impetus to Arab Action system, and an active partner in making of a joint Arab policy that serves the supreme interests of the Arab nation and confirms the principle of widening the scope of political participation as a basis for promoting democracy in Arab countries for closer ties among Arab peoples".
The Arab Parliament was thus moved from a transitional Parliament to become the permanent parliamentary institution, its first Ordinary Session was inaugurated on 12th December 2012, and began with the election of its President and the four Vice-Presidents, composition of its four permanent committees and their chairpersons and rapporteurs and the election of its Secretary-General and two Assistant Secretaries-General; Once the composition of its main parliamentary organs has been completed, the Parliament launched the development of its rules of procedure, its financial scheme and other administrative and financial regulations of the Parliament .
Arab Parliament official website
