Operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture: Challenges and Opportunities

This report summarizes a seminar held on March 20, 2009, in New York, organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) to examine the challenges and opportunities in operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). The event featured discussions on strengthening the African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC), improving synergy between the AU and international organizations like the United Nations (UN), and addressing funding and structural barriers to continental security.

• The AU's Peace and Security Council (PSC) is structured without veto powers, which is viewed as an advantage over the UN Security Council (UNSC) because it allows continental interests to take precedence over narrow national interests.
• The AU PSC has taken specific steps to enhance its operational capacity, including the formation of a sub-committee on sanctions on March 13, 2009, to create a comprehensive sanctions regime structure.
• Funding and logistical constraints are identified as significant barriers that have negatively impacted the operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).
• The African Standby Force (ASF) is progressing toward professionalization, with some forces learning English and French to improve rapid deployment capabilities and foster collective security among militaries that previously fought one another.
• There is a perceived gap in the partnership between the AU and the UN Security Council; despite being on the agenda for over six years, cooperation is described as remaining at a conceptual level.
• Implementation of APSA faces three levels of challenges: inherent external challenges (such as state fragility and bad governance), internal operational challenges (including the need for predictable funding and synergy with CSOs), and international dimensions (such as the need for effective AU representation at the UNSC).
• The AU is addressing conflict root causes through the AU Border Management programme and counterterrorism efforts, with 48 African countries currently collaborating on the latter.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture: Challenges and Opportunities. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NYSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture: Challenges and Opportunities. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NYSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture: Challenges and Opportunities |date=20 March 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NYSEMREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009operationalizing, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Operationalizing the African Peace and Security Architecture: Challenges and Opportunities}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NYSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }