Agreement For The Establishment Of An Arab Centre For The. Studies Of Dry And Barren Land
Source: Ruster and Simma, vol. XXV, pp. 309ff [Sudan Gazette No. 1108 of August 15, 1970] Text available at: https://iea.uoregon.edu/official-version-acsad-agreement
The Governments of
The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan
The Tunesian Republic
People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
The Democratic Republic of the Sudan
The Republic of Iraq
Saudi Arabian Kingdom
Syrian Arab Republic
United Arab Republic
Yemen Arab Republic
The State of Kuwait
Lebanon Republic
Libyan Arab Republic
The Kingdom of Morocco
People's Republic of Southern Yemen
desiring to promote their cultural and economic ties and to co-operate in developing and improving the means of utilization of their resources and in realization to the ends of the Arab League charter have agreed on the following provisions which have been approved by the Arab League Council.
Article 1 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENTRE
An Arab Centre with a legal entity and an independent budget called "The Arab Centre for the Studies of Dry and Barren Land" shall be established within the framework of the Arab League.
Article 2 MEMBERSHIP
The Centre shall be constituted of the member states in the Arab League which join this Agreement. Other Arab Countries shall be admitted to membership of the Centre on request an with the Approval of the Centre's Administrative Council.
Article 3 OBJECTS AND MEANS OF THE CENTRE
(1) The Centre may conduct regional studies on barren areas in the Arab Countries with especial emphasis on the following main studies:
- Studies relating to water resources, including atmospheric water, surface water and underground water, and meteorological studies (e.g. water vapour in the atmosphere, types of thunderstorms and their annual distribution etc.);
- Studies of surface water and underground water with the purpose of their effective utilization;
- Studies of utilization of water resources in the light of the hydrological balance of the water resource;
- Studies on the geological and geomorphological aspects of the different areas;
- Studies on the economy of barren land utilization;
- Studies of soils and map plotting of the different types and classification and their priority for agricultural utilization and suggestions for the best means for each areas;
- Studies on the degree of soil erosion by wind torrents, irrigation water and rains and on conducting experiments for best soil conservation;
- Studies on the best means of irrigation and drainage;
- Studies of the best means of soil and water usage;
- Studies on the effect of salinity in the soils and plants and its remedy;
- Studies of the problems of the deterioration of the agriculture and protective crops and its remedy;
- Studies on the adaptation of plants and animals;
- Studies on reservation, development and utilization of pastures and means of settlement of nomads.
(2) To achieve these objects the centre undertakes:
a) The training of specialists and technicians in the fields of research for the determination, reservation and utilization of the natural resources such as water, soil, pasture and forest etc.
b) The Administrative Council may establish branches in the member Arab Countries whenever it deems necessary.
c) The exchange of scientific knowledge and information between the Arab and other countries.
d) The co-operation with similar international organizations and agencies which have interests in barren lands such as the UNESCO and the International Geographic Union.
e) The extension of education in reserving the natural resources such as water soils, protective crops, pastures, forests, games etc.
Article 4 RESIDENCE OF THE CENTRE
a) The Residence of the Centre shall be in Damascus.
b) The Administrative Council may establish branches in the member Arab Countries whenever it deems necessary.
Article 5 ORGANS OF THE CENTRE
The Centre shall consist of the following organs:
a) Administrative Council
b) General Administration
c) Branches of the Centre
Article 6 THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
a) The Administrative Council shall consist of a representative of each member state who shall be a senior official in the field of care of dry and barren lands.
b) The Director General of the Centre and the Directors of the cultural and economical administration of the Arab League shall attend the meetings of the Council and shall have the right to participate in the deliberations with no right to vote. The Director General of the Centre shall be the Secretary of the Council.
Article 7 FUNCTIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL
The Administrative Council shall have the following functions
a) To lay down and supervise the general policy of the Centre;
b) To approve the plan of studies and research;
c) To approve the budget of the Centre and to adopt its final accounts;
d) To prepare the internal financial and administrative rules and regulations for the work of the Centre and its branches and the terms for grant of scholarships;
e) Admission of Arab Countries, other than members of the League, to the membership of the Centre;
f) Award of Scholarships.
Article 8 MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL
The Administrative Council shall meet three times a year. It may be called for extraordinary meetings on the request of the President or the Director General of the Centre. Such meeting shall have an agenda specifying the place and date of the meeting.
The Quorum shall be 2/3 of the members and chairmanship of ordinary meetings shall be in turn according to the alphabetical order of the members.
Article 9
The decisions of the council shall be by the majority of the votes of the members present and voting, and in case the votes are equal the chairman shall have and exercise another vote.
Article 10 THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
The Centre shall have a General Administration consisting of a full time Director General to be appointed by the Administrative Council and a number of officials and experts to be appointed by the General Manager, The terms of service of those officials shall be provided for by the internal regulations of the Centre.
Article 11 DIRECTOR GENERAL
The Director General shall undertake the Administration of the Affairs of the Centre and be responsible to the Administrative Council. He shall contract in the name of the Centre and represent it before the courts.
Article 12 THE FINANCIAL SOURCES OF THE CENTRE
Financial sources of the centre shall be as follows:
a) Members share in the budget of the centre provided that the share of the country where the centre is situated shall not be less than 25 % of the budget and the Administrative Council shall decide by resolution the shares of the other-member states;
b) Contribution from the Arab League;
c) Contributions from the concerned International Organizations;
d) Gifts, donations and grants which the Administrative Council accepts.
Article 13 STATIONARY
The country where the centre is situated shall provide free of charge premises, furniture and essential equipment for the centre.
Article 14 IMMUNITY
The funds and property of the centre in the territory of the member countries wherever that may be and in which ever possession shall enjoy immunity against inspection, confiscation and acquisition of any kind by any legislative or executive authority.
Article 15 IMMUNITY OFFICIALS
The representatives of the member countries in the centre, the officials and experts shall enjoy immunities and privileges necessary for their work in fulfilment of the object of the centre. The Secretary General of the Arab League shall determine these immunities and privileges in consultation with the concerned Arab Countries.
Article 16 DISSOLUTION OF THE CENTRE
a) Dissolution of the centre shall be decided only by the member states. This can only be decided in an extra-ordinary meeting convened for this issue in accordance with Article 8 of this agreement.
b) In the case of dissolution of the centre, its assets and property shall be transferred to the Arab League.
Article 17 WITHDRAWAL
Any party to this agreement may withdraw any time after 5 years from the commencement of its membership on condition that it notifies the Administrative Council with its desire a year before the date it fixes for withdrawal. In case of the withdrawal of the country where the head centre is situated, it shall undertake the transfer of all equipment articles, documents etc. of the centre to its new place.
Article 18
The signatories of this agreement shall ratify it in accordance with their laws and ratification documents shall be placed with the Secretariate of the Arab League which shall prepare a record certifying the placing of the ratification documents of every member country.
Article 19
This agreement shall come into force after the placing of the documents of ratification by 5 member states including the state where the centre is situated and shall come into effect with respect to these countries after one month from either the date of ratification, the date of affiliation or the date of admission to the membership of the centre.
The Secretary General shall extend invitation to the member countries to attend the first meeting of the Administrative Council.
Article 20
The Council of the Arab League shall decide in any dispute which may arise about the application or the interpretation of this agreement on the request of any party to the dispute or the request of the head of the Administrative Council.
In confirmation of the above the delegated representatives sign their names for their governments.
This agreement is made in one copy in Arabic Language to be kept in the Secretary Office of the Arab League and a true copy to be given to each signatory state and to every member of the centre.
