An appraisal of the AU’s Peace and Security Council, 2003-2022

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) was established by the African Union (AU) in 2003. Its main objective is to coordinate cooperation between the AU member states in promoting peace, security and stability in the continent by engaging in dispute and conflict resolution, peacekeeping and peacebuilding and intervening in member states in the event of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The PSC is tasked with promoting democracy, human rights, the rule of law and good governance among the member states, and is also is mandated to intervene in instances of unconstitutional changes of government. There is no doubt that peace and security are essential for successful regional and continental integration, hence the PSC has an important role to play in the integration agenda. This chapter assesses the performance of the PSC since it was established and suggests how this institution can perform better, with particular reference to its capacity for peacebuilding and conflict prevention.