Arab foreign ministers have unanimously selected former Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy as the new Secretary-General of the Arab League, officials announced on Sunday.
Fahmy, 75, will be formally approved by Arab leaders at the next summit in Saudi Arabia and will begin a five-year term in July, succeeding Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Serving as Egypt’s foreign minister from June 2013 to July 2014, Fahmy becomes the eighth Egyptian to lead the Cairo-based bloc. The Arab League has had only one non-Egyptian secretary-general, Tunisian Chedli Klibi, during the 1980s when Egypt was suspended for signing a peace deal with Israel.
In a statement, Fahmy described the position as a “great responsibility” amid “blatant violations of international law perpetrated by aggressors who have treacherously attacked our countries and our security, and by others whose prolonged occupation of our lands have obstructed our brothers from exercising their legitimate rights.”
Although he did not directly mention any country, his remarks echoed his predecessor’s stance on long-standing regional conflicts, including the situations involving Israel and Iran.
Founded in 1945, the Arab League serves primarily as a political forum for Arab countries to coordinate policy, discuss issues of common concern, and communicate points of consensus among its 22 member states.
