Trump unveils ‘Board of Peace’ in Davos: Who has joined, who stayed out

US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a new international body called the “Board of Peace”, saying it has already begun work on overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction and could eventually seek to resolve global conflicts.

The announcement was made at a signing ceremony in Davos attended by representatives from fewer than 20 countries, which didn’t include the United States’ traditional Western European allies.

The countries represented largely hailed from the Middle East and South America, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina and Paraguay.

“We are truly honoured by your presence today,” Trump said, describing those on stage as “in most cases very popular leaders, some cases not so popular”.

The turnout was lower than expected, with fewer participants than the roughly 35 countries a senior US administration official had predicted earlier this week.

Trump said the Board of Peace had already started functioning and was “running beautifully”.

“We have a great group of people and incredible young people that are leading it from within,” he said.

The board, which Trump chairs, was initially conceived as a small group of world leaders to oversee the Gaza ceasefire plan.

However, the administration’s ambitions have since ballooned into a sprawling concept, suggesting the body could act as a rival to the United Nations Security Council.

In invitation letters sent on Friday, Trump said the Board of Peace would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict,” arguing that existing international institutions had often failed to deliver durable peace.

The charter of the board calls for a “more nimble and effective international peace-building body” and says lasting peace requires “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed”.

Under the charter, the chairman has sweeping powers, including inviting member states, breaking tie votes, determining meeting frequency and creating or dissolving subsidiary bodies.

The board’s expenses will be funded through contributions from member states, which will serve three-year terms.

Countries that contribute more than $1 billion in cash in their first year can secure a permanent seat, according to the draft charter.

Trump has sent invitations to several global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

India is yet to take a decision on the invitation, PTI reported citing people familiar with the matter. They said New Delhi is examining various aspects of the proposal, given the sensitivity of the issues involved.

Countries that have accepted the invitation include Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

France, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden have said they will not join the board for now, while countries including Britain, China, Germany, Italy, Paraguay, Russia, Singapore and Ukraine remain non-committal.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Paris supported the US-backed peace plan for Gaza but opposed the creation of a new organisation that could replace the United Nations.

“Yes to implementing the peace plan presented by the president of the United States, which we wholeheartedly support, but no to creating an organisation as it has been presented,” Barrot said.

Reacting to reports that French President Emmanuel Macron was unlikely to join, Trump said, “Nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon.”

The executive board includes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and US deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.

Putin said Moscow would take a decision on joining the board after consultations with strategic partners.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to study the documents received by us and consult with our strategic partners,” Putin said in televised remarks at a Russian Security Council meeting, adding that Russia supported efforts to strengthen international stability.

1. Argentina

2. Armenia

3. Azerbaijan

4. Bahrain

5. Belarus

6. Egypt

7. Hungary

8. Indonesia

9. Jordan

10. Kazakhstan

11. Kosovo

12. Morocco

13. Pakistan

14. Qatar

15. Saudi Arabia

16. Turkey

17. United Arab Emirates

18. Uzbekistan

19. Vietnam