INTRODUCTION

The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is the organ of the AU that is tasked with the responsibility of promoting peace, security and stability in Africa. The norms underlying the mandate of the PSC and the methods and instruments for executing its mandate are enunciated in the Protocol to the AU Constitutive Act Establishing the PSC, which was adopted in Durban, South Africa in 2002.

The peace and security landscape of the continent and the nature of the mandate of the PSC demands that the PSC is organized and operates at a high level of effectiveness. Indeed, how the PSC functions and delivers on its mandate impacts not only the effectiveness of the continental response to the peace and security challenges, but also on global multilateral engagements. Various factors, including political will of member states, mobilization of consensus, and capacity, critically shape the level of effectiveness of the PSC.