New Zealand decided against accepting US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Friday.
Trump launched his Board of Peace last week, initially designed to cement Gaza’s rocky ceasefire, but which he foresees playing a wider role that concerns other global powers.
He has invited dozens of other world leaders to join, and while Middle East powers including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and major emerging nations such as Indonesia, have joined the board, global powers and traditional Western US allies have been more cautious.
Luxon said in an email statement the decision had been made not to join the Board of Peace in “its current form”.
New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters added in a post on X that a number of states, particularly from the region, have stepped up to contribute to the board’s role on Gaza, and “New Zealand would not add significant further value to that”.
Peters’ post added that as a “a leading founder and longstanding supporter” of the UN, it is important the board’s work is complementary to and consistent with the UN Charter.
“It is a new body, and we need clarity on this, and on other questions relating to its scope, now and in the future.”
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