The first attempts to establish a unity among the countries of the Maghreb took place at the eve of their independence. The Committee for the Liberation of the Maghreb was created in 1948. Shortly after their independence, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia held the first Conference of Maghreb Economic Ministers (Tunis 1964), which established the Maghreb Permanent Consultative Council (CPCM, in its French acronym). This body was intended to coordinate and harmonise the development plans of the four countries as well as interregional trade to form a block vis-à-vis the EU. Mauritania adhered to the CPCM in 1988. All economic and political unification attempts failed due to the Western Sahara issue. Diplomatic initiatives of the United Nations Secretary-General and some Arab countries to help towards a solution to the issue created a favourable climate for the creation of the Arab Maghreb Union, as a reaction to the prospect of the completion of the European Single Market after 1992.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:27:51 +0000
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