Peace and security architecture overview

Africa's peace and security architecture includes a number of mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as post-conflict reconstruction. At continental, the AU has created the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS), Panel of the Wise and African Standby Force (ASF). This architecture is generally mirrored at regional level.

The African Peace and Security Agenda (APSA) considers regional economic communities (RECs) as the building blocks of the African peace and security architecture. In order to play their envisaged role, the RECs, in particular their mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution, require significant increases in capacity as well as improved coordination and harmonisation, both between RECs and with the AU. Pax Africa has commenced providing support to the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation (the Organ), in order to enhance its capacity to achieve the Strategic Indicative Plan of the Organ (SIPO) and the broader peace, security and development objectives of the region. This entails support to SADC Member States as well as to the Organ itself.