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The Arab League: Cultural Treaty

(November 20, 1946)

Article 1

The States of the Arab League agree that each of them shall form a local organization whose functions shall be to consider matters concerning cultural cooperation between the Arab States. Each state will be free as to how it forms this organization.

 

Article 2

The States of the Arab League agree to exchange teachers and professors between their educational institutions, according to the general and individual conditions as will be agreed to. The period of service of any teacher or professor who is a Government official and who will be delegated for this purpose, will be considered as service for his own Government, with the maintenance of his rights as regards his post, promotion, and pension.

 

Article 3

The States of the Arab League agree to the exchange of students and scholars between their educational institutions, and their acceptance in suitable classes as far as accommodation will allow, in accordance with the regulations of those institutions.

In order to facilitate this, those States, while maintaining the basic educational principles adopted in their countries will work towards harmonizing their educational syllabi and certificates. This will be done by special agreement between those States.

Such facilities, as may be possible, will be given by each State to any other State which wishes to construct hostels for its students.

 

Article 4

The States of the Arab League will encourage cultural, scouting, and sports visits between the Arab countries, in areas which the Governments allow, and the holding of cultural and educational meetings for students. Facilities will be given for this purpose, particularly in respect to traveling arrangements and the expenses of the journey.

 

Article 5

The States of the Arab League agree on the reciprocal establishment of educational and scientific institutions in their various countries.

 

Article 6

The States of the Arab League will cooperate in the revival of the intellectual and artistic legacy of the Arabs, safeguarding and propagating it, as well as making it available to those who seek it by all possible means.

 

Article 7

In order to keep pace with the world's intellectual movements, the States of the Arab League will encourage and organize the translation of all foreign masterpieces, whether classical or modem. They will also encourage all intellectual output in the Arab countries by such means as the opening of institutes for scientific and literary research. They will organize competitions for authors, and will grant prizes to distinguished men of science, literature, and art.

 

Article 8

All the States of the Arab League undertake to legislate for the protection of scientific, literary, and artistic authorship rights for all publications in all States of the Arab League.

 

Article 9

The States of the Arab League will work for the standardization of scientific terms, by means of councils, congresses and joint committees, which they will set up, and by means of bulletins which these organizations will issue. They will work to make the Arabic language convey all expressions of thought and modem science, and to make of it the language of instruction in all subjects and in all educational stages in the Arab countries.

 

Article 10

The States of the Arab League will work for the consolidation of contacts between libraries and museums, whether scientific, historical or artistic, by such means as the exchange of publications, indexes, and duplicating antiquities, as well as by the exchange of technical officials and mmions for excavations by agreements between them.

 

Article 11

The States of the Arab League agree to consolidate relations and to facilitate cooperation between scientists, literary men, journalists, members of the professions, those connected with art, the stage, the cinema and broadcasting, where available, by organizing visits for them between one country and another and by encouraging cultural, scientific, and educational conferences for the purpose; also by placing room, laboratories and material in scientific institutions in every Arab country at the disposal of the learned of other countries to demonstrate scientific discoveries; also by the publication of periodical bulletins regarding books of scientific research published in all Arab countries. Each author or publisher must send to the "Cultural Committee" copies of his work for its library as well as for the principal libraries of each State.

 

Article 12

The States of the Arab League agree to include in their educational syllabi, the history, geography and literature of the Arab countries, sufficiently to give a clear idea of the life of those countries and their civilization. They also agree upon the institution of an Arab library for students.

 

Article 13

The States of the Arab League will work to acquaint their sons with the social, cultural, economic, and political conditions in an Arab countries, i.e. by means of broadcasts, the stage, cinema, and press, or by any other means, also by the institution of museums for Arab culture and civilization, as well as by assuring its success by holding occasional exhibitions for art and literature, and of public and scholastic festivals in the various Arab countries.

 

Article 14

The States of the Arab League shall encourage the establishment of Arab social and cultural clubs in their respective countries.

 

Article 15

The States of the Arab League will take all necessary measures to approximate their legislative trends and to unify as far as possible their laws; also to include the study of legislation of other Arab countries in their syllabi.

 

Article 16

This Treaty shall be ratified by the signatory States, according to their constitutional regime, with a minimum of delay. The instruments of ratification shall be lodged in the Secretariat-General of the Arab League which shall prepare a note of the receipt of each document and notify the other contracting States.

 

Article 17

Arab countries are permitted to adhere to this Treaty by notifying the Secretary-General of the League, who will communicate the fact to the other contracting States.

 

Article 18

This Treaty will come into force one month after the date of the receipt of the instruments of ratification from two States. It shall also come into force for the other States who participate, one month after the date of the deposit of the document of joining from these States.

 

Article 19

Any signatory State of this Treaty is allowed to withdraw from it by giving notice to the Secretariat-General of the League. The notice will take effect six months from the date of its dispatch.


Sources: League of Arab States