By William Walker.
The city of Baghdad will see the biggest congregation of the most powerful Arab states in the world in more than twenty years. With the exception of unrest-beleaguered Syria and Bahrain citing security concerns all of the most influential members of the Arab League will convene in Iraq for the 23rd Arab League summit on March 29th.
Heavily delayed following intense and sporadic unrest throughout the Arab world members will discuss a wide range of topics from the global economy, cultural prosperity to the current unrest in Syria.
The buzzword will likely be stability, as the repercussions of a lengthy Arab Spring are felt over the world, and the assembly is well placed in Baghdad, who knows more than most the effects of regime change following American intervention that begun in 2003.
Some have questioned the timing of the summit, expressing security concerns following multiple explosions last week that left 39 dead and 188 wounded, and have criticised the government for trying to rush the summit as a largely symbolic gesture following American troop withdrawal in December.
Another hot topic that will surely be on the agenda is that of the creation of an Arab Union to replace the current Arab League, which many perceive as something of a damp squib. First touted at the Egyptian summit of 2004, and then re-addressed in Doha, 2009, many will feel that a collected, more influential bond is required in such a changeable climate.
As the European Union has the clout to weather the economic storm, there is a genuine argument that a more federal amalgamation of disparate Arab states would give millions of dissenters a more global voice. As the Arab nations express their own troubles and concerns this is perhaps the most apposite issue and one which the people, themselves shaking off oppressive regimes, will respond to most of all.
