Trump Announces ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos, Raising Fears of Sidestepping the UN

US President Donald Trump has announced the formation of a new international body called the “Board of Peace,” sparking global debate over whether the initiative could bypass the United Nations and create a parallel system of global governance.
The announcement was made during a high-profile ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. While the board is initially intended to help implement a ceasefire in Gaza, Trump indicated that it could later take on a broader role in addressing global challenges.
Trump has named himself chairman of the self-declared board. “Once this board is fully formed, we can do whatever we want,” he said during the event, adding that it would work in coordination with the United Nations. He also claimed that the UN still had “huge untapped potential.”
World leaders have been invited to join the board, but permanent members are required to contribute $1 billion each to its funding. So far, most major global powers and traditional US allies have either declined to respond or issued cautious statements.
According to Reuters, representatives from a few countries were present as founding members, but no delegates from major world powers, Israel, or the Palestinian Authority attended the ceremony.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Belarus and Hungary are among around 35 countries that have pledged to join the board. Israel and Hungary have also expressed interest in participating.
Among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, France and the United Kingdom have refused to join. Russia said it is reviewing the proposal, while China has so far remained silent.
The initiative had earlier received support through a UN Security Council resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan. However, UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez said the United Nations would only engage with the board in the context of Gaza peace talks and would not be involved in its other activities.
Critics argue that Trump’s move could weaken the UN’s central role in global diplomacy and conflict resolution. Trump, however, insists that coordination between the board and the UN would deliver “something unique for the world.”