US President Donald Trump on Thursday launched his “Board of Peace”, initially focused on cementing Gaza‘s ceasefire but which he says could take a wider role that may worry other global powers, though he says it will work with the UN.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. We’ll do it in conjunction with the UN,” Trump said, adding the UN had great potential that had not been fully used.
Trump, who will chair the board, invited dozens of other world leaders to join, saying he wants it to address challenges beyond the stuttering Gaza truce, stirring misgivings it could undermine the UN’s role as the main platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.
Other major global powers and traditional Western US allies have balked at joining the board, which Trump said its permanent members must help fund with a payment of $1bn (R16.2bn) each, either responding cautiously or declining the invitation.
Representatives from countries introduced as founder members were present in the room when Trump spoke. However, Reuters could not immediately spot representatives from governments of other top global powers or from Israel or the Palestinian Authority.
The signing ceremony was held in Davos, Switzerland, where the annual World Economic Forum bringing together global political and business leaders is taking place.
Apart from the US, no other permanent member of the UN Security Council — the five nations with the most say over international law and diplomacy since the end of World War 2 — has yet committed to join:
- Russia said late on Wednesday it was studying the proposal after Trump said it would join;
- France has declined;
- Britain said on Thursday it was not joining at present; and
- China has not yet said whether it will join.
The board’s creation was endorsed by a US Security Council resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, and UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez said on Thursday UN engagement with the board would only be in that context.
However, about 35 countries have committed to join including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Türkiye and Belarus.
Few of the countries that have signed up for the board are democracies, though Israel and Hungary, whose leaders are seen as close allies of Trump and supporters of his approach to politics and diplomacy, have said they will join.
“There’s tremendous potential with the UN, and I think the combination of the Board of Peace with the kind of people we have here could be something very, very unique for the world,” Trump said.
Reuters
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