US President Donald Trump formally signed the founding charter for his new “Board of Peace” on Thursday in Davos.
The initiative is designed to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and ceasefire, but the signing ceremony exposed a stark divide between Trump’s coalition of supporters and skeptical Western allies.
About 35 nations committed to join the board, a mix of Middle Eastern powers, Central Asian republics, and nationalist-led European governments.
But high-profile refusals from the United Kingdom, France, and Nordic countries signaled misgivings about both the board’s legal framework and its mandate.
The signatories: A diverse and symbolic coalition
The countries that stepped up to join read as a geopolitical snapshot of Trump’s first-term priorities.
Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates all committed.
Other joiners include lesser-known players like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Morocco, Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Argentina, Paraguay, Bahrain, and Belarus.
In remarks at the signing ceremony, Trump called the board “the greatest board ever formed” and said once fully established, “we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations.”
Trump will chair the board for life, with authority to veto decisions, set agendas, and remove members.
Permanent membership costs $1 billion, while non-permanent members get three-year terms.
The executive board includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (overseeing Gaza reconstruction), former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, special envoy Steve Witkoff, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan.
Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’: The absences that speak louder
The refusals cut deeper. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the United Kingdom would not sign, citing concerns that the board operates as a legal treaty with “much broader issues” than Gaza alone.
France declined outright, with officials stating concerns that the charter “goes beyond the Gaza framework” and raises questions about respecting UN principles.
Scandinavian nations followed suit with Denmark, Norway, and Sweden formally declining.
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob said it “dangerously interferes with the broader international order.”
Replacement or complement to the UN?
The diplomatic fault line centers on one anxiety shared across Europe: does this board complement or replace UN functions?
Trump insisted during his speech that the organization will work “in conjunction with the United Nations,” but the board’s 11-page founding charter makes no specific mention of Gaza.
Meanwhile, other major powers remain in limbo.
China and India received invitations but have not committed. Canada accepted “in principle” but said it won’t pay the $1 billion fee.
Russia’s status is murky as Trump claimed Putin accepted, but Moscow said it’s still “studying the invitation.”
The board launches amid questions about whether it can command legitimacy without buy-in from traditional Western allies, or whether Trump intends to establish a separate sphere of influence outside established multilateral institutions.
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