National Command (Ba'ath Party)

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The National Command (Arabic: القيادة القومية al-qiyādah al-qawmīyah) is the top administrative body of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, the founding and ruling political party of the Union of Arab Republics. It is elected by the National Congress of the Ba'ath Party, the de jure highest institution in the party, and responsible for acting on its behalf between National Congress sessions, its actions subject to review at subsequent sessions. After its election, the National Command chooses from amongst its members a chairperson, who is declared National Secretary of the National Command and responsible for leading the National Command and opening sessions of the National Congress.

The National Command itself elects a seven-member body known formally as the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), which is led by the National Secretary, Deputy National Secretary, and five other senior members. The RCC meets daily and is responsible for acting on the National Command's behalf between National Command meetings, which typically occur once every one to two weeks. As such, the RCC acts as the de facto highest organ of the Ba'ath Party in day-to-day practice. Members of the RCC usually have important roles within the federal government: for example, the National Secretary is ex officio President of the Arab Union while the Deputy National Secretary is typically Vice President or Prime Minister, with the remaining five members, as of 2024, consist of the Minister of Defence, Minister of Interior, Chairman of the Joint Security Committee, Director-General of the National Police Authority, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.