Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 1295^th meeting held on Friday, 8 August 2025 on the Consultation of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) with African Governance Architecture (AGA) and Africa Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) Platform/Human Rights Subcommittee.

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling its previous decisions and pronouncements on the Consultation of the Peace and Security Council with AGA and APSA, particularly, Assembly Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.304 (XV)] adopted by the 15^th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held on 27 July 2010 which provided the mandate for the establishment of a Pan African Architecture on Governance which was further established as African Governance Architecture (AGA) as a platform for dialogue between stakeholders;

Also recalling the Assembly Declaration [Assembly/AU/Decl.1 (XVI)] adopted by the 16th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa, in January 2011 on the Theme: “Towards Greater Unity and Integration through Shared Values; that sustainable development must prioritize the well-being and rights of people, drawing upon human rights frameworks such as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) as such, development initiatives should be inclusive, participatory, and designed to protect fundamental freedoms and promote good governance;

Further recalling Communiqué of the PSC/PR/COMM.1167 (2023) adopted at its 1167^th meeting held on 11 August 2023; Communiqué of the PSC/PR/COMM.1098 (2022) 1098^th Meeting held on 11 August 2022, and Communiqué PSC/PR/COMM.1095 (2022) adopted at its 1095^th meeting held on 1 August 2022;

Acknowledging the significant contribution of the AGA Platform towards the promotion of democratic governance, peace and security in the Continent, as well as towards enhancement of the nexus between the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA);

Taking note of the opening remarks by H.E. Dr. Ambassador Mohamed KHALED, Permanent Representative of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to the African Union (AU) and Chairperson of the PSC of the AU for August 2025; and the introductory Statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security;

Also taking note of the presentations by H.E. Ambassador Willy Nyamitwe, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi and the Ag. Chairperson of the PRC Sub Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG); and by Hon. Wilson Almeida Adao, Chairperson of the AGA-APSA Platform and Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC);

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Stresses the need for both architectures to align their objectives, harmonize initiatives, and coordinate implementation to deliver collectively on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance, early warning, conflict prevention and resolution, and PCRD - contributing to the broader goals of Agenda 2063;

2. Underlines the need for both architectures to enhance synergies and foster complementary partnerships, leveraging the comparative advantages of the PSC and the PRC Sub Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance and AGA/APSA Platform for impactful interventions that enhance Africa’s governance, peace, and security trajectory;

3. Takes note of the ongoing development of the Joint AGA-APSA Roadmap aimed at institutionalizing coordination of the two architectures; and looks forward to its outcomes, which are crucial to integrate and reinvigorate key stakeholders across both architectures, and reinforce synergy as a strategic priority for all actors, while respecting the individual mandates and deliverables of each entity;

4. Highlights the need to address growing geopolitical threats, including the use of mercenaries and illegal resources exploitation, through a unified response mechanism; in this respect, calls for an urgent response from the AU to the escalating geopolitical threats, including external interference and illegal resource exploitation, through a unified crisis response process and the reaffirmation of the African sovereignty;

5. Continues to maintain and sustain annual interaction between PSC, PRC Sub-Committee on HRDG and AGA-APSA Platform to enhance flow of information, experience sharing and coordinated actions;

6. Encourages AU Member States that have not done so, to ratify, domesticate and implement the AU Shared Values Instruments, particularly, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG); and requests AU Member States to provide political support on the implementation of the Africa Governance Report of the AGA-APSA Platform produced by APRM;

7. Underscores the necessity for the Council to work closely with the AGA-APSA Platform and the PRC Subcommittee on HRDG to identify activities and programs for joint implementation;

8. Reiterates its request to the AU Commission to expedite the operationalization of the African Governance Facility, in order to facilitate effective resource mobilization to support the initiatives of the African Governance Platform and Member States towards the promotion of good governance and strengthening of democracy on the Continent;

9. Also reiterates the importance of fully integrating governance and human rights indicators into the Peace and Security Council’s early warning systems;

10. Calls for the PSC, the PRC Subcommittee and the AGA-APSA Platform to organize a retreat to enhance coordination and harmonization on issues of governance, development, peace and security; underscores the importance of bringing the PSC closer to the African People by engaging women, youth, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), media and academia;

11. Invites the AU relevant organs in matters of human rights to clearly distinguish, within their respective mandates, between human rights, humanitarian issues and political matters, and this, in full respect of the AU Assembly and Executive Council relevant decisions;

12. Commends the AU Commission for the holding of the just concluded 13th High-Level Dialogue on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights, convened in Accra, Ghana from 29 to 30 July 2025 on the theme “Justice, Rights, Reparations, and State Building”, a platform which gives opportunity for AU to engage with various stakeholders in the promotion of democracy, governance and human rights in Africa;

13. Stresses the need for inclusiveness in the promotion of democracy, human rights, civil and political and socioeconomic rights, and good governance, with the participation of youth and women and enhancing a people-centered governance approach;

14. Requests the AU Commission in coordination with AGA-APSA platform, Sub Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG) and APRM to develop a comprehensive matrix that lists all AU legal frameworks on governance, human rights, peace and security, and assess whether the frameworks are fit for purpose in addressing the continent’s complex governance and security challenges as part of the review process of the Governance, peace and security frameworks in line with Assembly decision Assembly/AU/Dec.920 (XXXVIII), adopted during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union held from 15-16 February; Further, develop an Action Plan on the activities to be undertaken on this matter  starting from 2025;

15. Looks forward to the upcoming 5^th edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, to be held from 19 to 20 October 2025 in Aswan, Arab Republic of Egypt; and underscores the importance of Aswan Forum as a principal platform for advancing the peace-security-development nexus and supporting post-conflict reconstruction and development (PCRD) efforts across the continent; and

16. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS