The Peace and Security Council,
Recalling Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which emphasize the promotion of democratic principles, popular participation, good governance, human and peoples’ rights, and sustainable peace; and also recalling Articles 3(f) and 7(m) of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council, which mandate the PSC to support democratic practices, good governance, the rule of law, and conflict prevention;
Further recalling Decision [Assembly/AU/Dec.304 (XV)] adopted by the 15th 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 subsequently established as the African Governance Architecture (AGA), as a platform for dialogue between and among stakeholders; and all its previous decisions on the joint engagement with the PRC Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG), and the African Governance Architecture–African Peace and Security Architecture (AGA-APSA) Platform; as well as Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.1295 (2025)] adopted by Council at its 1295th meeting held on 8 August 2025; and Communiqués [PSC/PR/COMM.1095 (2022)] and [PSC/PR/COMM.1098 (2022)], which institutionalized the annual engagement between the PSC, the PRC Sub-Committee on HRDG, and the AGA-APSA Platform;
Recognizing that governance deficits, democratic backsliding, violations of human rights, and weaknesses in constitutional order remain some of the underlying fundamental and structural root causes, drivers and factors that give rise to violent conflict and instability on the continent;
Acknowledging that democratic governance, human rights, peace, and security are mutually reinforcing and require coordinated, integrated, and preventive approaches;
Also acknowledging the importance of strengthening synergies among AU Organs, Institutions, Member States, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), and other stakeholders in advancing the AU governance, peace, security and development agenda;
Mindful of the strategic importance of the African Union’s 2028 Theme of the Year, “Promoting Human Rights, Democracy and Governance to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063 in Africa,” as an opportunity to accelerate collective efforts towards strengthening democratic governance and sustainable peace;
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 AU (AU) and Chairperson of the PSC for the month of August 2026, the introductory Statement by H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; as well as the statements by H.E. Ambassador Willy Nyamitwe, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Burundi and the First Vice Chairperson of the PRC Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance (HRDG) and by H.E. Ambassador Jevin Pillay, Vice Chairperson of the AGA-APSA Platform and Permanent Representative of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to the AU; and
Acting Under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:
