Peace & Security Council Report

The 31st AU summit introduced unprecedented budget scrutiny, reducing the 2019 budget by 12% to US$681 million through 'golden rules' of sustainability and predictability. While the AfCFTA saw five new signatories, ratification remains below the 22-country threshold required for implementation. Institutional reforms continue, including the proposed shift to merit-based appointments for the AU Commission and the integration of NEPAD and APRM into the AU core. Additionally, the report highlights an escalating armed conflict in Cameroon's anglophone regions and lists various Peace and Security Council (PSC) decisions from April to June 2018, including a new focus on the nexus between climate change and security.

• The 31st AU summit implemented a more rigorous budgeting process based on 'golden rules' of sustainability and predictability, leading to the 2019 budget being reduced by 12% to US$681 million from US$790 million in 2018.
• The AU is struggling to implement the 0.2% levy on eligible goods to ensure financial sustainability; only 23 countries are reported to be at various stages of implementation, and only 13 have actually started collecting funds.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has gained five new signatories (Burundi, Lesotho, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa), but with only six ratifications, it remains below the minimum of 22 needed to come into being.
• Institutional reforms aim to replace politically driven appointments for senior AU Commission (AUC) leadership with a merit-based process, potentially electing the AUC chairperson every four years.
• The AU is moving toward integrating several organs to reduce duplication, including the gradual integration of NEPAD as the AU Developmental Agency and the integration of the APRM into the AUC.
• The situation in the anglophone zones of Cameroon has escalated from social and political dissatisfaction into what is described as an armed conflict between secessionist groups and security forces.
• The Peace and Security Council (PSC) has decided to integrate climate change into its security framework by appointing an AU Special Envoy for climate change and security and requiring the Continental Early Warning System to include climate change effects in briefings.

APA

Ani, N. C., Louw-Vaudran, L., & du Plessis, C. (2018). Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-104.pdf

Chicago

Ani, Ndubuisi Christian, Liesl Louw-Vaudran, and Carien du Plessis. Peace & Security Council Report. Institute for Security Studies, 2018. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-104.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ani |first1=Ndubuisi Christian |last2=Louw-Vaudran |first2=Liesl |last3=du Plessis |first3=Carien |title=Peace & Security Council Report |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=July 2018 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-104.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ani2018peace, author = {Ani, Ndubuisi Christian and Louw-Vaudran, Liesl and du Plessis, Carien}, title = {{Peace \& Security Council Report}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2018}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pscreport-104.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }