U.S. President Donald Trump introduced the “Board of Peace” on the international platform on Thursday, with an increasing number of countries responding to his call to participate in the initiative focused on the reconstruction of Gaza. At present, 35 nations, including key players in the Middle East like Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, have endorsed the board, while European countries and Canada have shown reluctance in committing to the project and its associated fees.
In a subsequent development, President Trump announced the withdrawal of Canada’s invitation to join the board. To secure a permanent position on the board, which Trump is set to lead indefinitely, countries are required to make a minimum payment of $1 billion US, as outlined in a preliminary document. Other members will serve three-year terms.
A White House official informed The Associated Press that approximately 50 countries had been invited, with several yet to provide a response. While the final list of participating countries remains pending, several nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam, have publicly confirmed their membership.
France recently declined the invitation, citing discrepancies between the board’s charter and a United Nations resolution regarding the Gaza conflict, along with elements of the charter conflicting with the UN charter, as stated by the French Foreign Ministry spokesperson. Additionally, Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob rejected the invitation, expressing concerns about the board’s interference with the global order.
Meanwhile, Moscow is contemplating joining the board, with Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing to allocate $1 billion US from frozen Russian assets in the U.S. to support the initiative.
President Trump conducted a signing ceremony for the board in Davos, Switzerland, emphasizing his real estate background and highlighting the significance of Gaza as a valuable property in the quest for peace between Israel and Hamas.
The event coincided with ongoing deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, despite a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. on October 10. Trump has leveraged the ceasefire to launch a broader peace initiative targeting global conflict resolution, prompting cautious responses from some countries due to the limited information available about the initiative’s future objectives.