Several policy analysts and officials have expressed concerns about the board’s governance model, raising concerns over the decision-making authority concentrated in its chair. European nations have expressed concern over the possibility of the board usurping the role of the United Nations.[13][11] Trump has stated that the BoP could potentially replace the United Nations while also expressing continued support for the UN, and has defended the board’s reputation describing it as “the most prestigious Board ever assembled, at any time, any place”.[5][14][15]
The Gaza war began in October 2023 following a series of coordinated armed attacks carried out by Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.[16] During the subsequent conflict, the United States maintained diplomatic and military support to Israel, while Israel became the subject of genocide allegations in proceedings initiated by South Africa before the International Court of Justice in December 2023, allegations which Israel has rejected.[17]
In early January 2026, it was reported that Nikolay Mladenov (former United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process) had been chosen to serve as BoP director-general. Mladenov subsequently held meetings with al-Sheikh and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[23] On 11 January 2026, it was reported that Trump was expected to announce within the week the individuals whom he would appoint to the BoP. In response, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem called for the expedited establishment of the NCAG.[24]
With the commencement of the second phase of the Gaza Peace Agreement on 14 January 2026, it was reported that the United States had sent invitations to several countries to join the board and that it would have its first meeting on the side-lines of the World Economic Forum summit the following week.[25] Trump announced the formation of the board on 15 January 2026 via a post on Truth Social, which said, "It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed. The Members of the Board will be announced shortly, but I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place."[5]
Trump attends the BoP Charter announcement and signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum, 22 January 2026
On 17 January 2026, Argentine president Javier Milei and Argentine ambassador to the United States Alec Oxenford announced that Trump had formally invited Argentina to join the Board and become a founding member.[26][27] Milei posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he thanked Trump for the invitation, calling it an "honor" and reaffirming that Argentina "stand[s] with the countries" that "confront terrorism head-on" and "defend life and property".[27][28][26]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were also invited by Trump, with Carney confirming his participation.[26] Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama posted on Facebook that Albania had been personally invited to join the Board and become a founding member, describing it as major international recognition and a sign of the country's growing international standing.[29][30]
On 20 January 2026, Trump referenced the "Board of Peace", citing that "the United Nations never helped [him]" as a reason for its existence[31] and claiming that it "might" replace the UN.[14][32] On 22 January 2026, Trump hosted a signing ceremony for the founding charter of the BoP on the side-lines of the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos. Leaders and foreign ministers of 19 countries, in addition to the United States, attended the BoP signing ceremony in Davos and signed the founding charter.[6][7]
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose not to attend the ceremony, citing his concern over arrest by Swiss authorities, which had stated that they were "obliged to cooperate" with the International Criminal Court arrest warrant regarding his alleged war crimes.[33] On 7 February, it was reported that the first session of the Board of Peace was scheduled for 19 February, and will deal with dismantling Hamas military infrastructures.[34]
During the 19 February 2026 summit, Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco pledged to send troops for an International Stabilization Force consisting of 20,000 soldiers, while Egypt and Jordan agreed to train the police, which are expected to number 12,000. Furthermore, the United States pledged $10 billion for the board's efforts while nine other member states[a] pledged another $7 billion.[35]
Structure
US President Donald Trump is named as Chairman for life in the charter of the BoP.
The charter of the BoP outlines a multi-level structure for the organization, which includes:[36]
The board proper, mainly comprising national leaders. About sixty were invited by Trump.
The Board of Peace Executive Board, with a focus on diplomacy and investment. Seven members were appointed by Trump.
The Gaza Executive Board, to direct the NCAG. Its head, Nikolay Mladenov, who was appointed to the board alongside ten others, is titled the High Representative for Gaza.
Chairman
Trump is explicitly named in the BoP's charter as its chairman. He is not subject to term limits and holds the sole authority to nominate his designated successor. According to the charter, as the chairman, he is exclusively authorized to invite countries to join the BoP. In that capacity, he also has the exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities of the board. All revisions to the charter, as well as administrative directives issued by the BoP, are subject to his approval.[2] Trump's chairmanship is independent of his presidency of the United States, and he has indicated that he wants to remain chairman for life.[37][38][39][40]
Around 60 countries received invitations to join the BoP from Trump.[41] No countries from Sub-Saharan Africa received invitations. The following countries were invited to participate as founding members. Countries that wish to be permanent members of the BoP must pay US$1 billion into a fund controlled by Trump; otherwise, each country serves a three-year term which may be renewed at his discretion.[42][43]
Invitation accepted
The following states signed the charter of the BoP. All states, other than El Salvador and Israel, signed the charter on 22 January 2026 and became founding members.[6]
The following states, along with the European Union,[73] have yet to accept or have declined their invitation to the board. Nonetheless, they attended the first meeting of the Board of Peace as observers.
The charter establishing the board was signed by Trump and 25 other leaders. The plan included provisions for the construction of 100,000 housing units in Rafah as well as a "New Gaza," and stressed the importance of security and the demilitarization of Hamas.[114]
The United States pledged $10 billion for the board's efforts, while nine member states[c] agreed to contribute $7 billion. The armed forces to be deployed in Gaza, starting with Rafah, will consist of 12,000 police and 20,000 ISF soldiers drawn from Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco, while Egypt and Jordan will train the police.[35] Trump blamed solely Hamas for Gaza's destruction and threatened Iran amid the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.[116]
The charter of the BoP states that it shall have an official seal approved by its chairman. A logo, used at the inaugural meeting on 22 January 2026, features a globe showing most of the United States along with Canada and Mexico, the northern portions of South America, and a small portion of Africa, while omitting Europe, Asia, and Oceania entirely. The globe is superimposed on a shield flanked by olive branches, all rendered in a gold color scheme.[118]
The design places the continental United States around the visual centre of the globe, a compositional choice that has been noted for contrasting with the globally inclusive cartographic representation used by the United Nations.[118][119][120][121]
Trump hailed the BoP as "the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time".[5][15] The board has failed to attract enthusiasm from most world leaders.[91] It did not gain support from a number of Western countries, notably the United Kingdom,[10]France[11] and Norway,[126] with Keir Starmer calling Vladimir Putin's role "concerning".[127] Some European Union ambassadors reportedly raised "serious doubts" and said that they would examine the legal framework before taking a position.[91]
Trump, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and other leaders at the Board of Peace meeting, 20 February 2026
France voiced concern that it seeks to usurp the role of the United Nations.[11] In response to France stating its intention to "not answer favourably" to Trump's invitation to join his "BoP", Trump threatened 200 percent tariffs on French wine and champagne.[128][129] He also remarked of Emmanuel Macron, "Nobody wants him because he's going to be out of office very soon."[130]
A Canadian government source expressed to the media that Canada would not pay for a seat on Trump's proposed board of peace, adding that Prime Minister Mark Carney intended to accept the invitation but not under the terms outlined by Trump. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne later publicly confirmed that the federal government would not pay the "$1 billion US price tag." However, Trump rescinded Canada's invitation days after Carney delivered a speech at Davos warning of an "era of great power rivalry" and arguing that the US-led world order had ended.[131][91][132]
Similarly, Brazil, under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, viewed the proposal with caution, expressing concern that it could concentrate excessive power in the US presidency and overshadow the role of the UN.[91]Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East said that Carney's participation would have conferred "undeserved legitimacy" on the board, adding that Canadians expected clear opposition to what it described as "Trump's power grab."[133]
Norway too declined to join; its state secretary, Kristoffer Thoner, said the proposal "raises a number of questions that require further dialogue with the United States".[134] Sweden did not issue a formal response but PM Ulf Kristersson reportedly stated on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum that the country would not sign up to the board over its textual content.[134] Slovenia's PM Robert Golob declined the invitation because the body "dangerously interferes with the broader international order".[107][134]
Portuguese foreign minister Paulo Rangel declared that the Portuguese government was awaiting clarification from the Trump Administration, expressing doubts as "the way the charter is written is somewhat ambiguous as to whether it could have a scope other than just [Gaza]", while saying that the signing of international treaties "may involve internal procedures that are not compatible with just saying yes overnight".[135] Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that participation in such a board would be incompatible with the country's constitution. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed difficulty for Ukraine to join a board alongside Russia. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper cited similar reason.[136]
German officials described the board as a "counter-draft" to the UN and were surprised that it proposed a permanent international organization to address global conflicts instead of focusing solely on a Gaza ceasefire.[136] The board has been described as a vanity project by the Sydney Morning Herald and "a fledgling club of autocrats" by the Financial Times.[137][138]
The Guardian called it "a Trump-dominated pay-to-play club: a global version of his Mar-a-Lago court aimed at supplanting the UN itself", arguing that the body ultimately outlined bore little resemblance to what the United Nations Security Council believed it was endorsing. According to The Guardian, a charter circulated to national capitals two months after the resolution's adoption made no reference to Gaza, instead presenting the BoP as a permanent global institution. The article noted that most of the document focused on internal rules granting sweeping authority to the chairman—Donald Trump, the only individual named—including the exclusive power to appoint and dismiss members, set agendas, and issue resolutions, while other members could obtain permanent status only by paying a US$1 billion fee, still leaving effective control concentrated in Trump's hands.[9]Bloomberg described this as Trump holding the board's "ultimate decision-making power".[139] Sania Faisal El-Husseini, a professor of international relations at the Arab-American University in Palestine, noted that the organization "is not an international body with legal personality".[140]
Indonesian participation in the BoP was met with several protests at home. Former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Dino Patti Djalal raised his skepticism on BoP's efforts to enforce peace with Palestine citing the lack of participation from Palestine and Trump's megalomaniacal attitude while recommending Prabowo Subianto to keep an option for Indonesia to leave whenever the BoP violates Indonesia's free and active foreign policy.[141] Djalal protested the planned deposit of US$1 billion as "nonsense" because it was far larger than Indonesia's funding to ASEAN.[141]Indonesian Ulama Council urged Prabowo to reconsider Indonesia's participation in the BoP and criticize the BoP as a neocolonial project in favor of Israel.[142] After Prabowo summoned all foreign ministers and vice ministers, Islamic organizations and think tanks to clarify Indonesia's position, Djalal changed his opinion stating that BoP is the only "realistic" option while advising caution. Former minister Hassan Wirajuda states that despite the worries that Trump may play a very unpredictable move, Wirajuda hoped that Indonesia along with the other Muslim majority countries inside the BoP can act as a counterbalance to Trump.[143] Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono admits that Prabowo's decision to join the BoP will generate controversies, but these will diminish if everyone considers different perspectives.[143]
Elon Musk questioned the BoP during remarks at the World Economic Forum, joking about the homophony of "peace" and "piece" while referring to "a little piece of Greenland, a little piece of Venezuela", before adding that "all we want is peace."[144]Mary Robinson, a former chair of The Elders, described the board as a "delusion of power" and said that its charter did not mention a UN mandate nor contain the word "Gaza", which had been the original mandate approved by the UN.[145]
At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said that the Board of Peace does not reflect the UN security council resolution, which "provided for a Board of Peace for Gaza, but it also provided for it to be limited in time until 2027, it provided for the Palestinians to have a say, and it referred to Gaza, whereas the statute of the Board of Peace makes no reference to any of these things".[146]
↑Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed in principle to join the board, but ruled out paying for permanent membership.[96] On 22 January 2026, Trump withdrew the invitation.[97]
↑Drabløs, Øystein Tronsli (21 January 2026). "Sweden says no to Trump's peace council". Aftenposten. Retrieved 21 January 2026. Eksperter og kritikere mener Trump forsøker å gjøre rådet til et alternativ til FNs sikkerhetsråd der bare han selv har vetomakt.[Experts and critics believe Trump is trying to turn the council into an alternative to the UN Security Council, where only he himself has veto power]
↑Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt (21 January 2026). "مصر ترحب بالدعوة للانضمام لمجلس السلام"[Egypt has welcomed the invitation to join the Board of Peace]. www.mfa.gov.eg (in Arabic). Retrieved 21 January 2026.
↑"Viet Nam accepts invitation to join Gaza Peace Council". Nhân Dân. Communist Party of Vietnam. 18 January 2026. Archived from the original on 23 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026. Party General Secretary To Lam has accepted the invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the Gaza Peace Council and affirmed Viet Nam's readiness to participate as a founding member state of the council.
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