AU Security Council

The Security Council of the African Union or Peace and Security Council (PSC) (German: Peace and Security Council ) is the security policy organ of the African Union (AU).

history

Already from the circle of the AU's predecessor, the Organization for African Unity (OAU), the common will to form a security-policy body had been expressed. At the 29th Ordinary Assembly of the OAU Heads of State and Government from June 28 to 30, 1993 in Cairo , a declaration was passed with the intention of a future joint conflict prevention ( Declaration of a Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution ). On this basis, the Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution was created .

The 37th Ordinary Assembly on July 9-11 , 2001 in Lusaka dealt with the integration of this OAU body into the future structure of the AU and commissioned the Secretary General to plan specific steps and to find a new name.

In succession to the OAU, the heads of state and government adopted a protocol to establish their Peace and Security Council at the first regular meeting of the AU on July 9, 2002 in Durban , which entered into force on December 26, 2003 after ratification by the member states. The following central tasks were thus assigned to the new body:

Responsibility for promoting peace, security and stability in Africa,
Preventive diplomacy and peacekeeping,
Measures in the event of disasters and humanitarian activities,
the Security Council replaces the former Central Organ of the Mechanism for the prevention, management and regulation of conflicts in Africa .

In March 2004 the 15 members of the Security Council were elected at the 4th Ordinary Meeting of the AU Executive Council in Addis Ababa and its rules of procedure were adopted. Furthermore, the date for the official start of work was set for May 25, 2004 , which was celebrated with a solemn ceremony at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa ( Ethiopia ).

functionality

According to Art. 5 of the protocol regarding the establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union from 15 elected representatives of the member states and is thus a limited member body similar to the Security Council of the United Nations . He can - on the basis of a corresponding decision of the Union Assembly - carry out military interventions and peace operations in Africa . If certain conditions are met, this can also be done against the will of individual member states.

Fifteen members are elected to the Peace and Security Council, each from three countries from Central Africa , three from East Africa , two from North Africa , three from Southern Africa and four countries from West Africa . Most of its meetings take place at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.

The current members of the council are: