DAVOS, Switzerland — U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday formally launched the Gaza Board of Peace (BoP), signing its official charter during a high-profile ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, marking one of the most ambitious foreign policy initiatives of his second term.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do,” Trump declared, adding that the body would operate in coordination with the United Nations while addressing not only Gaza but broader global challenges.
Trump, who will chair the Board, has invited dozens of world leaders to join the initiative, positioning it as a new diplomatic platform designed to stabilize post-war Gaza and reshape international conflict resolution. Although Trump insisted the BoP would not replace the UN, the initiative introduces a parallel structure that could significantly alter the architecture of global diplomacy.
The Board’s creation has been endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza peace framework. However, UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez clarified that UN engagement with the BoP would remain limited strictly to the Gaza context.
So far, around 35 countries have committed to joining, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, and Belarus. Notably absent, however, are most of the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Russia said it is “studying” the proposal, France has declined to join, Britain has opted out for now, and China has yet to announce a position.
Trump has proposed that permanent members contribute $1 billion each to help fund the initiative — a condition that has prompted caution and resistance among several traditional U.S. allies.
Despite that hesitation, Israel and Hungary — both close Trump allies — have confirmed their participation, lending the Board political weight despite its unconventional structure.
Momentum for the BoP continued to build across Europe. Albania’s parliament approved joining the Board on Thursday, with Prime Minister Edi Rama calling it “an act of goodwill” and “a special honor” that would secure Albania a place in high-level global diplomacy. Kosovo has also joined, while Bulgaria’s outgoing government has signed on, pending parliamentary ratification next week.
Veteran diplomat and former UN Middle East envoy Nikolay Mladenov has been appointed High Representative for Gaza under the Board’s framework.
With only Hungary and Bulgaria representing the European Union so far, Trump’s initiative highlights growing fractures between Washington and parts of Europe over how global governance should evolve in a post-Gaza order.
Whether the Gaza Board of Peace becomes a durable new pillar of international diplomacy or remains a Trump-era experiment now hinges on how many major powers ultimately choose to step inside its framework.
