Arab League: The league has traditionally been deeply divided - often over Iraq. A summit on regional political and economic reform in Tunis was abandoned in March 2004 because several members refused to allow the word "democracy" to be used in reform proposals.

Gulf Co-operation Council: The council - whose members control nearly half the world's known oil reserves and are traditionally pro-Western – has called on the United States to stop threatening Syria in the wake of the war in Iraq. Analysts say that the organisation is expected to act as a unit more and more to maximise its clout.