US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a new international body called the Board of Peace – an international organisation that will oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and could later help resolve global conflicts.
The announcement was made during a signing ceremony in Davos, attended by representatives from fewer than 20 countries. The gathering did not include most of the United States’ traditional Western European allies. Countries present at the event were largely from the Middle East and South America, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Paraguay.
“We are truly honoured by your presence today,” Trump said, describing those on stage as “in most cases very popular leaders, some cases not so popular”.Trump said the Board of Peace had already started functioning and was “running beautifully”.“We have a great group of people and incredible young people that are leading it from within,” he said.
What is the Board of Peace?
The Board of Peace was initially planned as a small group of world leaders to oversee the Gaza ceasefire plan. However, the idea has since expanded, with the administration suggesting the body could eventually act as a rival to the United Nations Security Council.
In invitation letters sent on Friday, Trump said the board would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict,” arguing that existing international institutions had often failed to deliver lasting peace.
The board’s charter calls for a “more nimble and effective international peace-building body” and states that lasting peace requires “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed”.
Under the charter, the chairman, Trump himself, has wide powers. These include inviting member states, breaking tie votes, deciding how often meetings are held, and creating or dissolving subsidiary bodies.
The board will be funded through contributions from member states, with each country serving a three-year term. According to the draft charter, countries that contribute more than $1 billion in cash in their first year can secure a permanent seat.
Is India on the Board of Peace list?
Trump has sent invitations to several global leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
India is not yet a member of the Board of Peace. According to PTI, sources familiar with the matter said New Delhi is examining various aspects of the proposal, given the sensitivity of the issues involved.
Full list of Board of Peace member countries
As of now, the following countries are listed as members of the Board of Peace:
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Belarus
Egypt
Hungary
Indonesia
Israel
Kosovo
Kazakhstan
Jordan
Morocco
Pakistan
Paraguay
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Countries that declined or are undecided
Several countries have chosen not to join or are still considering the invitation. Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Italy have declined to join. France is also reportedly planning to decline Trump’s invitation.
Canada has agreed to join the board “in principle” and is still working out the details. Trump has also said he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to serve on the board. The United Kingdom, Germany and Japan have not yet announced their decisions. The Vatican confirmed on Wednesday that Pope Leo has also been invited but is examining the proposal. Ukraine is reviewing the invitation, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing uncertainty about serving on the same body as Russia.