The Arab League member states have unanimously agreed to set up a joint military force against what they call threats against Arab states.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi said on Thursday that the bloc's foreign ministers agreed during their meeting in Egypt on a draft resolution to establish the force.

"This is the first time that a force will be created and work under the name of Arab states," he said during a joint press conference with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Arabi descried the decision as "historic".

The draft text says the force would carry out “rapid response operations against threats to Arab states.”

The draft will be put to vote during the forthcoming summit of the Arab League on Saturday and Sunday.

The Arab League currently has a Joint Defense Council under the Joint Defense and Economic Cooperation Treaty of 1950. The council coordinates the member states' collective defense.