Relentless Kuwaiti Precursor Efforts Led To GCCآ's Establishment

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Report
KUWAIT, Nov 29 (KUNA) -- It is no secret that relentless Kuwaiti precursor efforts was one of the main reason for the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Five years of nonstop effort by the late Amir sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah made the dream of uniting Gulf countries under the umbrella of a regional organization a reality, which stands as a testament to Kuwaiti diplomacy.
Four decades on, the GCC still stands as a beacon of cooperation and a united front under the directives of the Gulf leaders, and the upcoming summit in Kuwait on December first will continue such legacy moving forward.
The initial idea for the GCC was born in 1976 when then Amir Sheikh Jaber visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE), meeting with its leader the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan.
In December 1978, Sheikh Jaber directed then Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the late father Amir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, to visit the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabi, Oman, and Qatar to review the proposal establishing the council.
After the visits, the Gulf countries called in joint statements for speeding up the process of establishing a unifying organization and in November 1980, Sheikh Jaber informed Gulf leaders on the sideline of the Jordan Arab summit about Kuwaitآ's vision for joint Arab cooperation.
On February fourth, 1981, Gulf Foreign Ministers met, issuing a joint statement calling for the establishment of the GCC.
On February 24 and 25, 1981, a committee of experts met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to agree upon a comprehensive system for establishment as well as a draft law for the GCC statute.
The Six Nations Gulf Foreign Ministers held a meeting Muscat, Oman, on March 9, 1981 where they agreed upon the organizational structure and signed the initial agreement for the statute.
The day when all efforts to establish the GCC came on May 25, 1981 with the holding of the very first GCC Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, an event, which saw the approval of the statute as well as appointing the inaugural Secretary General of the organization Kuwaiti diplomat Abdullah Yaqoub Bashara.
The statute established the goals of the GCC, which were to achieve coordination, integration, and cooperation amongst the six nationsآ' organization on all possible domains and sectors.
Goals also pushed for scientific, technical, and industrial development amongst member countries in addition to coordinating efforts on matters of regional and international importance.
The final communique of the first GCC Summit reflected members' rejection of any external interference in matters of Gulf concern, affirming that the stability of the Gulf region and the Middle East were paramount for GCC members.
The summit called for a just solution to the Palestinian cause and urged for the end of the Iraqi and Iranian war.
Some 45 years on, the GCC remains as a vital organization keeping with its initial ethos, which were first planted by the State of Kuwait and the upcoming summit in Kuwait would only add to the achievements and joint cooperation of all member countries. (end)
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