June 16, 2006

THE GCC CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY. THE SAUDI LEADERSHIP AND ITS ROLE IN ENHANCING THE MARCH OF THE GCC. THE GCC SUMMITS ARE HISTORICAL EVENTS. A RICH RECORD ON THE ROLE OF THE SAUDI LEADERS IN ESTABLISHING THE BASES OF COOPERATION AMONGST THE GCC MEMBER STATES. The foreign policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is based on geographical historical religious economic security political everlasting principles and facts. It is shaped within major frameworks, among the most important of which are; good-neighbour policy, non interference in the internal affairs of other countries, strengthen relations with the Gulf States and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, strengthen relations with Arab and Islamic countries for the benefit of common interests of these countries, as well as advocate their issues, adopt nonalignment policy, establish cooperation relations with friendly countries, and play effective role in the international and regional organizations. This policy is activated through several circles such as Gulf, Arab, Islamic, and international circles: Since the foundation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by its founder King Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, the Gulf circle, due to certain numerous reasons, is regarded as the major circle of Kingdom's foreign policy. Within the Gulf Circle consideration is given to the blood relations, historical connections, unique geographical neighbourhood that bring Arab Gulf States together, besides the similarity of existed political and economical systems. King Khaled Ibn Abdul Aziz with Crown Prince Fahd, later King Fahd at his side as First Deputy Premier, achieved much in both domestic and foreign policy. In 1981 he inaugurated the Gulf Co-operation Council. King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz's policy on foreign affairs has been underpinned by four easily defined principles. First, he has shown throughout his years as Crown Prince and King an unfaltering commitment to the unity of the Arab world and to the unity of the still more broadly based community of the Islamic faith. Throughout, he has maintained his belief that the things that unite the Arab and Muslim worlds are far more important than those that divide them. A brief survey of the recent history of the Middle East which includes the IraqIran War and the Gulf War might seem to challenge such a view but any set-backs, however grave, have served only to strengthen King Fahd's resolve to use all means at the Kingdom's disposal to further the cause of unity. It has always been clear to King Fahd that the disputes and conflicts between Arab States have brought no benefit to the countries involved or their peoples but have certainly prevented the Arab world from playing the role and exercising the influence in international affairs to which, by political and economic status, it is, or should, be entitled. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, more commonly known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), was founded on 25th May 1981, when the Heads of State of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates signed the new organization's constitution. The Secretariat is based in the city of Riyadh. The GCC headquarters are located in the Diplomatic Quarter, where a substantial complex, financed by a gift from King Fahd, has been built to meet the Secretariat's present and future needs. The constitution of the GCC precisely reflected King Fahd's own view of the importance of seeking ways to make the unity of Arab States a reality. The constitution required the organization to provide "the means for realizing coordination, integration and cooperation" in economic, social and cultural affairs. Specifically, the GCC aimed: to achieve coordination, integration and close ties leading to unity between the Member States; to deepen the ties, relations and all aspects of cooperation between the peoples of the region; to adopt similar systems and laws in: economics and financial affairs; commercial, customs and transportation affairs; education and cultural affairs; social and health affairs; communication, informational, political, legislative and administrative affairs; to encourage progress in the sciences and technologies involved in industry, mining, agriculture, water and animal resources, and to establish scientific research centers and to undertake joint projects. Inevitably, when independent sovereign States come together to seek a degree of integration, progress depends on consensus. In this context, the GCC has achieved much in its twenty five years. AGRICULTURE: The directive to harmonize agricultural policy was officially promulgated in 1985 and measures to harmonize many aspects of agriculture (including water conservation, the use of fertilizers and insecticides and various veterinary matters) have since been taken. TRADE: A process of complete tariff unification was set in motion in 1994. In June 1998, by which time Member States had agreed on the classification of most goods for external tariff purposes, a technical committee was set up to explore the possibility of a customs union. At the 20th Session of the GCC Supreme Council in November 1999, it was agreed that customs union should be achieved by 2005. In December 2000, the 21st Summit Meeting aimed to bring that date forward to 2002. In 1998 a GCC Patent Office was established to protect intellectual property rights in the area. Measures, including foreign investment guidelines published in 1997, have been taken at various times to encourage foreign investment. Trade amongst the GCC Member States has flourished. In 1999, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia imported more than SR 4 billion worth of goods from other GCC Member States, an increase of 8% on the preceding year. EASE OF MOVEMENT WITHIN THE GCC: In 1997, a simplified passport system was approved by the Ministers of the Interior of the GGC Member States. COORDINATION OF INFORMATION POLICY: From the mid-1990s, Ministers of Information from the GCC Member States met regularly to co-ordinate their work. At their meeting in the United Arab Emirates in 1999, the GCC Information Ministers affirmed the importance of strengthening the external information flow in the GCC States. They expressed their satisfaction with the success already achieved in bringing about the existing cooperation between the GCC information bodies and reaffirmed their commitment to the activation of the joint information projects between Member States in print, audio and video spheres. OIL POLICY: Efforts to coordinate oil production and pricing policy have been maintained throughout the life of the GCC, with special emphasis on ensuring adequate supplies and the ability of each Member State to fulfil its quota in the event of any production problems. DEFENSE: The Summit Meeting of the GCC in November 1981 decided to include cooperation in matters of defence in its remit. GCC defence ministers met early in 1982 to discuss a joint air defence system and the possibility of standardizing weaponry. In November 1984, it was agreed that a GCC rapid deployment force should be formed, made up of troops from all GCC Member States, to confront and repulse any aggressor. The force was named the "Peninsula Shield". In October 1987, the GCC agreed on a mutual defence pact whereby an attack on any Member State would be construed as an attack on all Member States. Iraq invaded Kuwait on 2nd August 1990. The GCC immediately condemned the invasion. As the coalition against Saddam Hussein was put in place, the complex relations between the different Arab countries of the region shifted significantly. The GCC moved closer to Egypt and Syria, as it became clear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria would spearhead the Arab component of the multinational alliance ranged against Saddam Hussein. There have, of course, been disagreements between the Member States of the GCC. Border disputes have flared up from time to time but the commitment of the GCC leaders, and King Fahd's determination to show that Arab unity can be a reality, have ensured cohesion and progress, even on such sensitive issues. Under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia along with other Gulf States believe in the similarities among themselves and based on their desire to unify and coordinate joint policies of security and defence during massive crisis and conflicts that surround and affect the region in different ways, the leaders of the six Gulf States agreed in 1981 to found (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf - GCC) to be the organizational framework that realizes comprehensive cooperation and integration context aims at fulfilling the desires and aspirations of the six Gulf States on both official and public levels in the fields of political, security, economic, social, educational, cultural, and etc The Saudi Arabia's foreign policy in the Gulf Circle is based on major permanent basis and principles that are: * The security and stability of the region is the responsibility of the states of the region. * The Gulf States have the right to defend their security and maintain their independence according to their own discretion and as guaranteed by the international law to confront any internal or international challenges. * Decline the interference in internal affairs of these countries, and work out to cooperate and stand against any aggression on one of the state members, with regard to any aggression, at the same time member states consider aggression on one country as aggression on all member states. * Strengthen cooperation between the Kingdom and the member states of the GCC in different political, economical, security, social, cultural fields and others, through deepening and consolidating relations and ties among member states. * Coordinate policies of the GCC when possible, especially toward the regional and international momentous issues. Such cooperation and coordination were obvious during the crisis witnessed by the region, especially during the Iraq-Iran war, and the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait. * Take serious and persistent action to solve all disputes (especially border disputes) among the countries of the region through understanding that is based on brotherhood and good neighboring principles. * Sound enthusiasm on the importance of economic coordination among member states through continuous support for unifying economic policies and establish suitable integrated contexts, paying special attention to coordination with regard to oil policies of the member states in a manner that serves their interests, considering that oil is the strategic source of these countries. The Riyadh-based Gulf Cooperation Council, made up of the Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, has issued a brochure containing the six-nation group's achievements over the past quarter century. To mark its 25th anniversary, the GCC gave an account on its achievements in the fields of foreign policy, military, security, economic, electric and water, human resources, information, and youth, sports and scouts cooperation. The 25th anniversary of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), founded in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 1981, will be engraved in the minds of the peoples of the Gulf. The GCC secretariat, in the report distributed on this occasion, highlighted achievements of the six-state GCC bloc at the political, economic and social levels. The report talked about unified political positions vis-a-vis crucial issues. The health domain witnessed the treatment of all Gulf citizens the same in all GCC states. While in the economic field, the Gulf bloc established the custom union, unified the custom tariffs and was working on establishing the common Gulf market by 2007, and issuing a single currency by 2010. The report talked about a host of laws and regulations adopted by the GCC states in the fields of security, education, health, insurance, social security, trade, industry, agriculture and investments. It said the GCC leaders were keen on developing human resources and minimizing imports of foreign labor to reduce demographic impacts. The report noted the future projects in the GCC states, like the electronic civil services gate, the general administrative development organization and the workforce planning venture. It cited the trade policy document of the six GCC states to negotiate with international economic blocs and organizations. It also mentioned the activation of the private sector's role to develop exports. The GCC consists of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The GCC Charter states that the basic objectives are to effect coordination, integration and inter-connection between Member States in all fields, strengthening ties between their peoples, formulating similar regulations in various fields such as economy, finance, trade, customs, tourism, legislation, administration, as well as fostering scientific and technical progress in industry, mining, agriculture, water and animal resources, establishing scientific research centres, setting up joint ventures, and encouraging cooperation of the private sector. Firstly: The Supreme Council is the highest authority of the GCC formed of the Heads of Member States. Its presidency rotates according to the Arabic alphabetical order of the names of Member States. It convenes one regular session every year. However, extraordinary sessions may be convened at the request of any Member State seconded by another. In 1998, during the 19th summit held in Abu Dhabi, the Supreme Council decided to hold a consultative meeting in between two summits every year. Meetings of the Supreme Council are considered valid if attended by two-thirds of the Member States, at which each has one vote. Resolutions on substantive matters are issued by unanimous approval of the members present, while a majority is enough to approve those of procedural nature. [GCC Charter] The Consultative Commission: Formed of thirty GCC citizens (five from each Member States) chosen according to their experience and qualification for a period of three years. The Consultative Commission is charged with studying matters referred to it by the Supreme Council. Commission for the Settlement of Disputes: Formed by the Supreme Council for every case on an ad-hoc basis in accordance with the nature of the dispute. Secondly: The Ministerial Council is composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs or other ministers acting on their behalf. Presidency of the Ministerial Council is entrusted with the Member State that presided the last ordinary session of the Supreme Council, or when necessary, with the Member State that is next to preside the Supreme Council. The Ministerial Council convenes every three months, and may hold extraordinary meetings upon the request of one Member State seconded by another. A meeting is considered valid if attended by two-thirds of the Member States. Among other jurisdictions, the Ministerial Council is authorised to propose policies, lay out recommendations, and encourage and coordinate the already existing activities in all fields. Resolutions adopted by other ministerial committees are referred to the Ministerial Council, which in turn would refer the relevant matters, along with appropriate recommendations, to the Supreme Council for approval. The Ministerial Council is also charged with arranging the Supreme Council meetings and preparing their agenda. Procedures of voting are similar to those applicable at the Supreme Council. Thirdly: The Secretariat-General is charged, among other functions, with preparing studies related to cooperation, co-ordination, and integrated plans and programmes for joint work. It is also entrusted with the preparation of periodic reports on the work of the GCC, follow up implementation of the resolutions, prepare reports and studies when requested by the Supreme Council or the Ministerial Council. The Secretariat also makes preparation for meetings and prepare the agendas and draft resolutions for the Ministerial Council. The Organizational body of the Secretariat-General is comprised of the following: (1) A Secretary-General appointed by the Supreme Council for a period of three years renewable only once. (2) Three Assistant Secretaries-General for political, economic and military affairs, as well as the head of the GCC delegation to Brussels, who are appointed by the Ministerial Council for three renewable years, upon nomination of the Secretary-General. (3) Directors-general of the Secretariat-General sectors as well as other staff that are appointed by the Secretary-General. The administrative structure of the Secretariat General consists of a number of sectors: Political Affairs, Economic Affairs, Military Affairs, Human and Environment Affairs, Legal Affairs, Office of the Secretary-General, Finance and Administrative Affairs, Patent Bureau, Administrative Development Unit, Internal Auditing Unit, and Information Centre, in addition to the GCC Delegation in Brussels and the Telecommunications Bureau in Bahrain. The Riyadh-Based Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Abdul Rahman Ibn Hamad Al-Atiyyah congratulated GCC leaders on the 25th anniversary of the council's foundation. He expressed his great appreciation of the leaders for their generous and unlimited support for the council, which has been turned into a landmark in the history. Al-Atiyyah noted the GCC leaders' keenness on achieving the desired integration and their peoples' aspirations of enhancing cooperation in security, military, economic, educational, cultural, social, health and legal fields. Prince Nawaf Ibn Faisal Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Vice President of Youth Welfare commended the leaders of Riyadh-based Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states for achieving the aspirations of GCC countries and turning their ambitions into reality in various fields including youth and sports sector. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on the 25th anniversary of the council's foundation, the prince hoped that the council achieves more success in unity, integration and all fields in the region. Meantime the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Ibn Hamad Al-Atiyyah met with directors of news agencies of GCC states. During the meeting, they discussed topics pertaining to information process and cooperation among the two sides. Al-atiyyah listened to the directors' viewpoints on the information action and ways of its development. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the council's foundation, the Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Ibn Hamad Al-Atiyyah honored the directors chief editors of news agencies of GCC states. During the celebration, Al-Atiyyah praised the role played by the gcc news agencies in all aspects, wishing them all success. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah stressed the importance of the GCC media in promoting cooperation among Arab Gulf States in the political, economic, cultural and social fields. In an opening speech made at a session on "The GCC march for the past 25 years", Al-Attiyah said the media had a vital role in sending the GCC message to all Arabian Gulf citizens and the world. The media has created a GCC identity and contributed to forming a unified public view on all issues, he added. Al-Attiyah recalled all voices that opposed the establishment of the council back in 1981 who feared its failure, but has become an example for the region through it massive accomplishments and has become an active member regionally and internationally. He attributes the continuous success of the council to the political will and unlimited support of the GCC leaders and their people. On this occasion, Al-Attiyah congratulated the GCC media for its great achievements in issuing hundreds of publications, newspapers and numerous satellite channels that shed the light on various issues. The discussion session on the GCC media was held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of council. An elite group of GCC media men attended the session.