4 HEREBY AGREE ON THE FOLLOWING: ARTICLE 1 DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Protocol: a) "Protocol" shall mean the present Protocol; b) "Cairo Declaration" shall mean the Declaration on the Establishment, within the OAU, of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution; c) "Lomé Declaration" shall mean the Declaration on the Framework for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Changes of Government; d) "Constitutive Act" shall mean the Constitutive Act of the African Union; e) "Union" shall mean the African Union; f) "Assembly" shall mean the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union; g) “Commission” shall mean the Commission of the African Union; h) "Regional Mechanisms" shall mean the African Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution; i) "Member States" shall mean Member States of the African Union. ARTICLE 2 ESTABLISHMENT, NATURE AND STRUCTURE 1. There is hereby established, pursuant to Article 5(2) of the Constitutive Act, a Peace and Security Council within the Union, as a standing decision-making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. The Peace and Security Council shall be a collective security and early-warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient response to conflict and crisis situations in Africa.