US President Donald Trump has launched his proposed "Board of Peace", a new international body aimed at resolving global conflicts, with a reported $1bn price tag for permanent membership. The initiative, initially conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, appears broader in scope, as a draft charter does not limit the board's mandate to the Palestinian territory. A senior White House official said about 35 world leaders so far agreed to join, out of roughly 50 invitations sent.
Those backing the initiative include key Middle East allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar and Egypt, alongside NATO members Turkiye and Hungary. Other participants named include Morocco, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay and Vietnam.
The charter was formally signed at a ceremony in Davos, where Trump was joined on stage by leaders from Bahrain and Morocco to kick off the process. One by one, visiting leaders stepped forward in pairs to sign the document after Trump appended his signature.
“What we’re doing is so important,” Trump said. “This is something I really wanted to be here and do, and I could think of no better place.”
Speaking separately at Davos, Trump praised recent US military actions and repeated his claim that he has helped end eight wars since returning to office. Referring to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last June, he said they had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capacity, adding that Tehran “does want to talk, and will talk”.
He also cited US operations against ISIL in Syria, saying “many good things are happening”, and claimed security threats to Europe, the US and the Middle East “are really calming down”. “Just one year ago, the world was actually on fire,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t know it.”
On the Middle East, Trump suggested that 59 countries were now involved in efforts linked to his peace initiative. Addressing Gaza, he warned Hamas to disarm, saying: “If Hamas doesn’t do what they promised they will do, I think they probably will, but they were born with rifles in their hands.”
“They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it is going to be the end of them,” he added.
Trump insisted that enthusiasm for the project was widespread, telling the audience that “everybody” wants to be part of the Board of Peace, and said the United States would continue to “work with many others, including the United Nations”.
The ceremony in Davos concluded with the signing of the board’s first charter, marking the formal launch of the initiative on the global stage.
