US President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a new international body dubbed the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, unveiling an initiative that has drawn scrutiny over its structure, membership cost, and geopolitical implications.
Trump, who chairs the board, presided over a signing ceremony attended by leaders and senior officials from 19 countries, many of them close allies, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Permanent membership of the body carries a reported fee of $1 billion.
Originally conceived as a mechanism to oversee post-war peace efforts in Gaza following the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the board’s founding charter outlines a broader mandate to help resolve international disputes. This expanded role has prompted concerns among critics that the body could rival the United Nations.
Trump dismissed such concerns, saying the organisation would operate “in conjunction” with the UN, not in competition with it. “In most cases, these are very popular leaders. In some cases, not so popular,” he said at the ceremony.
Controversy has also surrounded Trump’s invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the board. Trump said Putin had agreed, while the Kremlin said the Russian leader was still reviewing the proposal. The invitation has unsettled US allies, particularly Ukraine, amid Russia’s nearly four-year invasion.
Several Western allies, including Britain and France, expressed scepticism about the initiative. The UK confirmed it did not attend the ceremony, while critics warned the high entry fee risks turning the board into a “pay-to-play” version of the UN Security Council.
Other signatories included officials from Bahrain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan, Indonesia, and several countries across Europe, Asia, and Central Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he intends to join but was absent from the event.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the board’s immediate priority was ensuring that any Gaza ceasefire becomes lasting. Trump, however, struck a harder tone, warning that Hamas must disarm in the next phase of the ceasefire or face severe consequences.
The launch comes as Trump prepares to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said talks with Moscow had made “a lot of progress,” though he declined to disclose the remaining sticking point.
