As peace is a prerequisite for security and development, the African Union launched the Peace and Security Council (PSC) in May 2004 as a testimony to Africa's willingness to deal with her own conflicts. This new instrument replaces the former Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Settlement, an ineffective body created by the Organization for African Unity in 1993. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of an instrument designed to play a key role in a future framework for stability in Africa.