Internal Regulations of the Secretariat-General of the League

(10 May 1953)

Article 1.

The Secretary-General shall, in the name of the League, implement the resolutions of the Council and shall take the financial measures within the limits of the budget approved by the Council. He shall also, in his capacity as Secretary-General of the League, attend the meetings of the Council of the League and of the Committees, and shall perform such other duties as may be entrusted to him by these bodies.

He shall be exclusively responsible to the Council of the League for all acts of the Secretariat-General and for the implementation of office regulations in the Departments and Divisions of the Secretariat-General which carry out their functions under the supervision and approval of the Secretary-General.

Article 2.

The appointment of the Secretary-General shall be for five years, subject to renewal.

Article 3.

The Secretary-General shall be assisted in the supervision of the duties of the Secretariat-General by Assistant Secretaries. Each one of the Member States shall have the right to nominate, from among its own nationals, an Assistant Secretary, whose appointment ith the approval of the Council. Each (these Assistant Secretaries) shall be in charge of at least one of the Departments of the Secretariat-General.

Article 4.

Should there happen anything necessitating the absence of the Secretary-General, he shall delegate one of his available Assistants to replace him.

Article 5.

The Secretariat-General shall be constituted of the following Departments:

1) Conference Secretariat: This shall carry out (all) correspondence concerning public affairs not coming under the competence of the other Departments; the performance of the functions of the Council's Secretariat during its sessions, and (also) protocol affairs.
There shall be attached to it the Archives Registry which shall be charged with all matters relating to the receipt and dispatch of mail; the filing and classification of the League's papers and official documents; the registration of out-going and incoming correspondence; the supervision of the final disposition of matters referred to the various Departments, and the (sending of) reminders thereon on the dates prescribed by instructions. The Registry shall also keep in good order the circulation and progress of files.
The library, too, shall be attached to the Conference Secretariat.

2) Finance and Administrative Department: This shall carry out all the financial affairs of the League, including the preparation and control of its budget, the bookkeeping of the accounts of the League and of the employees, the Provident Fund, supplies, and all matters relating to the employees financially and administratively.
The Director of the Department shall act as Secretary to the body supervising the management of the Provident Fund.

3) Political Department: This shall carry out the study of the political affairs relating to the Arab countries, follow up those international affairs of (special) interest to the Arab League, and prepare the studies and reports connected with the above.

4) Economic, and Communication Affairs Department: This shall prepare, in general, the studies required by the work Of the Economic and Communications Comrnittees.
It shall prepare the statements and statistics concerning the economic situation in the Member States. it shall prepare the studies relating to the progress and implementation of the commercial agreements concluded among the Member States.
It shall furnish the appropriate Departments in the Governments of the Member States with economic statements and statistics, and may make suggestions on all (matters) relating to the economic conditions, or economic stability (of the Palestine refugees) in the countries of the Member States.
It shall compile studies published in international, economic and commercial magazines, pertaining to the economies of the countries of the Member States.

5) Social and Health Affairs Department: This shall carry out studies relating to migration, labour and labour movements, child protection, health matters and questions of co-operation among the Arab countries concerning these matters.

6) Legal Department: This shall carry out the study of legal matters in general and shall prepare studies relating to nationality, passports, visas, execution of judgements, extradition of criminals, and the study and preparation of the various draft laws, leading to the achievement of co-operation among the Member States.
It shall discuss international legal matters likely to arise out of a given international situation.
It shall act as an advisory department concerning all affairs of the Secretariat-General.
It shall have the right to appear before the courts in suits brought by or against the League.
It shall undertake the drafting and drawing up of agreements prepared by the League, as well as the registration of agreements deposited by the Member States, in accordance with the provisions of Article 17 of the Pact.

7) Information and Publication Department: Its duty shall be the making of propaganda for the Arab countries, furnishing the newspapers with communiques and other (documents), and (also) controlling whatever is published therein, as well as furnishing the League with all matters relating to propaganda and publication.

8) Cultural Affairs Department: This shall carry out the preliminary study of cultural and educational matters.

Article 6.

Each Department shall have officials according to the need and necessity of the work, as provided for in the budget.

Last revised 6 April 1998, Ed Haynes
http://haynese.winthrop.edu/mlas/SecGenRegs.html
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