By widening scope of his Board of Peace, is Trump challenging UN?
The initiative seeks to resolve worldwide conflicts beyond Gaza and could rival the UN, as the US president sends invites to several world leaders to join forum
US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly boasted about ending several international conflicts, seems to have given serious thought to making his Board of Peace plan a mechanism to tackle global conflicts and not just the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
That the Republican administration is focusing on making the initiative a worldwide one became evident when leaders from various nations received invitations this week to join the Board of Peace.
'Board to embark on bold new approach'
In the letters addressed to various world leaders requesting them to become the board’s “founding members”, Trump said the body would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict”.
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What is more interesting is that the letters that went from the US president to his counterparts in Argentina and Paraguay, which were posted to their respective official social media accounts on Saturday (January 17), note that Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, which includes the creation of the board, was endorsed by the United Nations (UN) Security Council. The development indicates that the board, including world leaders, would look beyond Gaza.
Trump's Board of Peace a threat to UN?
The board, in fact, could potentially rival the UN, the international agency which has remained the most comprehensive platform for international peace and harmony since the Second World War (1939-45), marking a major upheaval in the current world order.
In his letter, Trump wrote, “On September 29th, 2025, I announced the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, an extraordinary 20-point roadmap quickly embraced by all World Leaders, including major Heads of State across the Arab World, Israel, and Europe. In furtherance of this Plan, on November 17th, the United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly adopted resolution 2803, welcoming and endorsing this vision.
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“Now it is time to turn all of these Dreams into reality,” Trump wrote. “At the heart of the Plan is The Board of Peace, the most impressive and consequential board ever assembled, which will be established as a new International Organisation and Transitional Governing Administration.” He also said the board will be one of its kind, something which is unprecedented.
The letter written by US President Donald Trump to his Argentinian counterpart Javier Milei, inviting him to join his Board of Peace. Photo: X/@JMilei
Besides Argentinian and Paraguayan leaders Javier Milei and Santiago Pena, respectively, other countries that confirmed receiving the invitation letters include Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It was not immediately clear how many or which other leaders would receive invitations.
Countries like China, Russia won't be amused
However, it would not be a cakewalk for the American president to make the Board of Peace into an international institution and promote it as an alternative to the UN as countries such as China and Russia, which have been Washington’s perennial foes, would oppose it. Both Beijing and Moscow hold the key veto power in the UN Security Council, which gives them major leverage in international politics, and they would not be okay with any radical change in the global order.
Smaller nations might also raise objections as the UN system, despite its reported flaws in the current international functioning, has at least given them a voice in major international decisions since the end of the Second World War.
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A senior US official said that while an expanded role for the Board of Peace remains “aspirational”, Trump and his advisers believe it is possible, particularly as the US and others have repeatedly expressed frustration with the UN and its associated organisations and bodies.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the official though did not overtly say that the Board of Peace is aimed at replacing the UN, but suggested that it could perhaps lead towards galvanising the world body to take solid action on the ground.
The Trump administration, which took over for the second term in January last year, has often found itself at odds with the UN, and withdrew from several entities affiliated with the world body and stopped their funding. The US has accused the UN of failing to reach its potential.
The invitations to the world leaders follow the US president’s post on social media on Thursday (January 15), saying the board has been formed and the names of its members will be revealed soon. Official sources, as a formal announcement on the matter is expected to come at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next week.
Rubio, Blair, Banga get key roles
On Friday (January 16), the White House announced the names of some leaders who would oversee the next steps in Gaza, including an executive board that would work to further the vision of the board.
It comes after the White House on Friday evening released the names of some of the leaders who will play a role in overseeing the next steps in Gaza, including an executive board that will work to carry out the vision of the Board of Peace.
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Among those named are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law and his former senior adviser Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, World Bank president Ajay Banga, and American billionaire Marc Rowan. Trump is the board’s chairperson.
Israel, US's close ally, objects
Israel, one of the US’s closest allies, however, objected to the names as its government contended that they were announced without it being taken into confidence and are contrary to its policy.
Many of the abovementioned figures are also there in a separate “Gaza executive board”, which will oversee a technocratic committee of Palestinians, named the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
The 11-member board includes, besides Blair, Kushner, Witkoff and Rowan, Turkish Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi, UN Middle East Peace Coordinator Sigrid Kaag, United Arab Emirates Minister Reem Al-Hashimy, and Cypriot-Israeli billionaire Yakir Gabay.
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The initial announcement of board members triggered outrage among many in the Middle East for not including any Palestinian representative, and allegedly including only staunch supporters of Israel.
Trump seeking $1bn for a place on board?
Meanwhile, Bloomberg News said in a report on Saturday that the Trump administration was asking countries for USD 1 billion to stay on the board.
The White House called it “misleading”, saying there was no minimum membership fee to join the board. However, it appeared to confirm the USD 1 billion fee for “permanent membership”.
“This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity,” it said on X.
(With agency inputs)