The Institutionalization of the GCC Conflict

This post was originally published at LobeLog.

Five months into the Qatar crisis, the future outlook for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as an institution of six Arabian countries is gloomy. In light of expectations that the Council will postpone its annual summit scheduled for next month in Kuwaitand Bahrains recent calls for freezing Qatars membership in this sub-regional organization, a realistic solution to the Gulf dispute appears nowhere on the horizon. As Kuwaiti , American , French , and Russian efforts to promote a diplomatic settlement prove futile, the GCC is unraveling.

The lack of a response to the GCC crisis from the organizations secretary generala Bahraini national accused of favoring his governments positionhighlights the Councils institutional weakness. If the GCC is designed to protect the security of all six members, how could an effectual Council permit three of its members and a non-GCC countryEgyptto impose a blockade and wage a media war of narratives against a founding member? The GCCs charter calls for unanimous support from all its members for any substantive changes to the institution. So, how would Bahrains planpresumably backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)for suspending Qatars membership play out in practice given half of the GCC members opposition to such an unprecedented measure?

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