U.S President Donald Trump on Thursday launched the “Board of Peace“, an initiative designed to oversee the Gaza ceasefire and potentially address broader global issues.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said the move marked “a turning point” for the Middle East and global security.
“Today, the first steps toward a brighter day for the Middle East and a much safer future for the world are unfolding right before your very eyes. Together, we are in a position to have any credible chance… to end decades of suffering, stop generations of hatred and bloodshed,” Trump said.
The Board of Peace is part of the Trump administration’s Phase Two of the Gaza Peace Proposal. It is expected to support security arrangements, humanitarian assistance, and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, while also pursuing talks aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict through a two-state solution. Under the proposal, permanent members are required to contribute $1 billion each to fund the initiative.
Chief Commissioner of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Dr. Ali Sha’ath, said the initiative had opened the door to change but cautioned against premature optimism.
“These efforts have created the opportunity for a new future in Gaza, but what will really matter is what comes next.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the board would focus on ensuring the Gaza peace plan is implemented but could also have wider relevance. “It could serve as an example of what’s possible in other parts of the world,” Rubio said.
Who Joined, Who Stayed Away
According to Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) several Middle Eastern powers — including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — joined the board on Thursday, along with emerging nations such as Indonesia. Other participating countries included Argentina, Belarus, Hungary, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Paraguay and Pakistan.
However, major Western allies skipped the ceremony. Apart from the United States, no other permanent member of the UN Security Council has so far committed to joining.
The report said Russia was studying the proposal. Although President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was willing to contribute $1 billion from frozen U.S. assets to support Palestinians, no Russian representative was present at the signing event.
China also rejected the invitation to join the Board of Peace, saying it remains firmly committed to an international system centred on the United Nations.
Israel was also not represented at the signing ceremony, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he intends to join the board.
Meanwhile, although Palestinian factions have endorsed Trump’s plan and backed Gaza’s development under the board’s oversight, no Palestinian representative signed the Board of Peace charter at the event.
Other countries including the UK, France, Norway, Sweden and Slovenia said they would not immediately join the board.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said the board’s charter raised serious concerns.
“It goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question,” read their statement.
EU Council President Antonio Costa said European leaders had serious doubts about the board’s scope but were willing to work with it in Gaza.
An unnamed European diplomat told The Associated Press that EU countries felt uneasy about the initiative, adding that it “feels a bit awkward” and that they would prefer discussions focused specifically on Gaza before engaging with the broader proposal.
India also skipped the announcement ceremony in Davos. However, the government is reportedly still discussing an invitation extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the latest diplomatic spat between the two neighbours, Trump on Thursday, withdrew Canada’s invitation to join the board after Ottawa indicated it would participate but would not pay the required contribution.
The board also includes Marco Rubio, U.S. Gaza negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Concerns Over UN Role
According to Reuters, the launch has raised concerns among global powers, with some viewing the board as a potential rival to the United Nations. Trump rejected that view, saying the body would work alongside the UN.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,” he said, adding that the UN had “great potential” that had not been fully utilised.
Trump, who will chair the board, invited dozens of world leaders to join and said he wanted it to address challenges beyond the fragile Gaza ceasefire. However, this broader scope has fuelled fears the board could undermine the UN’s role as the primary platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.
The board’s creation was approved in November by the UN Security Council as part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan. UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez said the organization’s engagement with the board would be limited strictly to that mandate.
During a special UN meeting in October 2025, experts expressed concern over the proposal, saying oversight by the U.S.-chaired Board of Peace was neither transparent nor under UN authority.
They warned that the U.S. was not an “honest broker” due to its support for Israel.
“This proposal is regrettably reminiscent of colonial practices and must be rejected,” the UN statement said.
UN special adviser Jeffrey Sachs described the initiative as “imperialism masquerading as a peace process.”
Meanwhile, Israeli forces on Wednesday killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza, including two 13-year-old boys, three journalists and a woman, the AP reported. According to hospitals, it was one of the deadliest days since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect in October.
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