United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 22, formally launched his newly formed “Board of Peace” (BoP), pitching it as an international peace committee that could begin with rebuilding Gaza.
Trump introduced the board to the international stage during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland.
Why was the BoP established?
The board was initially unveiled as part of Phase Two of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, intended to oversee “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation” in Gaza.
But letters from Trump to invited leaders, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña, suggested wider ambitions.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, Trump wrote in one letter that the board would seek to “solidify Peace in the Middle East” and “embark on a bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict.”
What are the requirements to join the BoP?
Under a draft charter, countries seeking a permanent seat on the board – which Trump is expected to chair for life – would need to contribute at least US$ 1 billion, while members who do not pay would only serve three-year terms.
A draft charter sent to about 60 countries calls for members “to contribute US$1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years,” according to a document seen by Reuters.
As of writing, around 60 countries have agreed to join the peace committee.
These include Middle East powers Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, alongside early supporters such as the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Vietnam.
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Why are some countries not joining the BoP?
According to a report by the Financial Times, the charter says the board aims to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
Traditional US allies in Europe and Canada have been more hesitant to ratify the board, with Canada saying that it would “not pay” to join the board, BBC reported.
One diplomat told Reuters: “It’s a ‘Trump United Nations’ that ignores the fundamentals of the UN charter.”
France declined the invitation, with its Foreign Ministry saying the charter does not align with a United Nations resolution on Gaza and includes elements contrary to the UN charter.
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob said the board “dangerously interferes with the broader international order.”
A senior US official told the Associated Press that any expanded role for the board remains “aspirational,” adding that it was not intended to replace the United Nations.
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Hazel Camba 
Jheruleene Anne Ramos 
Eugene Nicklaus S. Laqui