{"id":163851,"date":"2020-08-23T14:54:13","date_gmt":"2020-08-23T12:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/the-aus-peace-and-security-architecture-filling-the-gaps-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2020-08-23T14:54:13","modified_gmt":"2020-08-23T12:54:13","slug":"the-aus-peace-and-security-architecture-filling-the-gaps-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/the-aus-peace-and-security-architecture-filling-the-gaps-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"The AU’s peace and security architecture: filling the gaps | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The AU’s peace and security architecture: filling the gaps<\/a>: <\/p>\n

African leaders at the 33rd African Union Heads of State Summit at the headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February 2020. <\/span> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since its inception in 2002 the African Union has been under pressure to resolve the extensive peace and security challenges facing the continent. In particular, it\u2019s tried to address the limitations faced by its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity\u2019s (OAU), in this area. <\/p>\n

The biggest change has been the shift away from the OAU\u2019s so-called non-interference stance to the AU\u2019s more interventionist approach. This is most explicitly found in Article 4 of the AU Constitutive Act. <\/p>\n

The AU\u2019s African Peace and Security Architecture was established when the organisation adopted the Protocol on the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council in July 2002. It is guided by the AU\u2019s mandate and its interventionist approach. <\/p>\n

The architecture, which has five pillars composed of AU organs and bodies, drives the AU\u2019s peace and security work. Its aim is to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts by working collaboratively with the Regional Economic Communities and Mechanisms. Therefore, the peace and security architecture has a role to play from the early warning and conflict prevention stages to that of post-conflict development. <\/p>\n

The five pillars are: the Peace and Security Council, the Panel of the Wise; the Continental Early Warning System; the Standby Force, and the Peace Fund.<\/p>\n

While not all pillars function as intended, there have nevertheless been a number of success stories in which the architecture was instrumental.<\/p>\n

Peace and Security Council<\/h2>\n

The Peace and Security Council is the main decision-making body of the peace and security architecture and can take decisions on a number of fronts. These include:<\/p>\n