Friday, January 23, 2026 - U.S. President Donald Trump has formally launched his Board of Peace, an initiative initially designed to stabilise the fragile ceasefire in Gaza but one he says could expand to address wider global challenges, prompting concern among some allies that it could undermine the role of the United Nations.
Speaking at the launch alongside the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Trump said the board would operate in conjunction with the UN, insisting
it was not intended to replace existing multilateral institutions. He argued
that the United Nations had “great potential” that had not been fully utilised
and said the new body could complement its efforts.
Trump, who will chair the board, said once it is fully
constituted it would have broad scope to act on global issues beyond Gaza. That
ambition has unsettled some countries, particularly traditional U.S. allies,
who worry the board’s expanded mandate could weaken the UN’s position as the
primary platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.
So far, about 35 countries have committed to the initiative,
including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Argentina and Indonesia. Russia has
said it is considering joining, while several Western powers have been
cautious. France has declined to participate, Britain said it is not joining
for now, and China has yet to state its position.
Trump has said permanent members of the board would be
required to contribute $1 billion each. At the signing ceremony, there were no
immediately visible representatives from the governments of major global
powers. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was studying the proposal
and suggested that frozen Russian assets in the United States could be used to
fund its contribution to support Palestinians.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the board’s
immediate focus would be ensuring the Gaza peace plan is implemented, while
also serving as a model for resolving conflicts elsewhere. The board’s creation
was endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza plan,
with the UN saying its engagement would be limited to that framework.
While some democracies have joined, many of the
participating countries are not democratic. Supporters include leaders closely
aligned with Trump’s approach to diplomacy. Board members also include Rubio,
U.S. Gaza negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and former British Prime
Minister Tony Blair.
Attention remains focused on the fragile Gaza ceasefire.
Kushner said the next phase would centre on funding reconstruction in the
territory and addressing the disarmament of Hamas, which he described as a key
obstacle to progress. He said the coming months would prioritise humanitarian
aid while creating conditions for longer-term stability.
There were signs of limited progress, with Palestinian
officials saying the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is expected to reopen
next week. However, the ceasefire agreed in October has been repeatedly
strained, with Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violations, including
disputes over hostages, aid access and continued violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an
invitation to join the board, while Palestinian factions have endorsed the
peace plan and backed a transitional Palestinian committee to administer Gaza
under the board’s oversight. Even if the current truce holds, future
negotiations will need to tackle long-standing issues such as Hamas
disarmament, security arrangements in Gaza and an eventual Israeli withdrawal.
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