Assembly/AU/Dec.536(XXIII) Page 1 DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL ON ITS ACTIVITIES AND THE STATE OF PEACE AND SECURITY IN AFRICA Doc. Assembly/AU/4(XXIII) The Assembly, 1. TAKES NOTE of the report of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa; 2. RECALLS its earlier decisions on the reports of the PSC on its Activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa, as well as the Declaration on the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the PSC adopted by the PSC meeting at the level of the Heads of State and Government, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on 25 June 2014; 3. REITERATES the critical role of the PSC in the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent and COMMENDS the PSC for the achievements made over the past decade. At the same time, the Assembly NOTES with deep concern the continued prevalence of the scourge of conflict and violence on the continent. Accordingly, the Assembly CALLS FOR renewed efforts by the AU Member States and the Commission, as well as by the Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs) towards achieving the objective of a conflict-free Africa by 2020, as provided for in the Solemn Declaration adopted at its 21st Ordinary Session held in Addis Ababa, on 25 May 2013. In this respect, the Assembly: i) STRESSES THE NEED for all concerned to redouble their efforts to prevent the occurrence of conflict and violence, including through the effective implementation of the relevant AU instruments on governance, democracy and human rights; ii) CALLS FOR renewed efforts for the full operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), and WELCOMES the steps taken to operationalize the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises (ACIRC), as a transitional arrangement. The Assembly LOOKS FORWARD to the successful conduct of the Amani Africa II Exercise, which is expected to validate the full operational capability of the African Standby Force (ASF), EXPRESSES APPRECIATION to the European Union (EU) for financially supporting the Exercise, and CALLS UPON Member States, in the spirit of African leadership and ownership, to provide resources to bridge the remaining financial gap; iii) STRESSES THE NEED for continued efforts in the area of post-conflict reconstruction and development to consolidate peace where it has been established. In this respect, the Assembly WELCOMES the launching of the African Solidarity Initiative (ASI), in January 2014, and URGES both the