On 25 May 2024, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) will mark its 20th anniversary since its official launch. Comprising 15 elected Members, the PSC was established to serve as the AU’s standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. The Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (the PSC Protocol), which established the PSC, was adopted at the inaugural Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in July 2002, held in Durban, South Africa. The PSC Protocol came into force in December 2003 following the deposit of the instruments of ratification by 27 Member States.