Last week, US President Donald Trump unveiled a new international body called the “Board of Peace” as a central pillar of Phase Two of his 20-point plan to end the Gaza conflict.
The initiative is designed to guide post-war governance, reconstruction, and political transition in the Palestinian territory, with Washington reaching out to dozens of global leaders to participate.
Who is leading the Gaza ‘Board of Peace’?
Trump
will chair the Board of Peace himself. Other core members include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special negotiator Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The group also features former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, US billionaire financier Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump loyalist Robert Gabriel from the National Security Council.
Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has been appointed “High Representative for the Board of Peace.”
His task is to oversee Gaza’s transition from Hamas rule to a technocratic Palestinian administration known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).
The NCAG is headed by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority, and is responsible for restoring public services and stabilising daily life in Gaza.
Its members include Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Mladenov, UN official Sigrid Kaag, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, and Egyptian intelligence official General Hassan Rashad.
The White House has also announced the creation of a “Gaza Executive Board,” which will work alongside the High Representative’s office and the NCAG to “support effective governance” and deliver essential services to Gaza’s population.
Which leaders were invited to join the Board of Peace?
Trump has invited leaders from at least 60 countries to participate as founding members of the Board of Peace. Among the prominent figures who received invitations are:
-
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama
-
Argentine President Javier Milei
-
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
-
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
-
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides
-
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
-
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
-
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
-
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
-
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
-
Jordan’s King Abdullah II
-
Romanian President Nicusor Dan
-
Russian President Vladimir Putin
-
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
-
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
-
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
-
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI
-
Chinese President Xi Jinping
-
French President Emmanuel Macron
Additional invitations were also sent to leaders and institutions including the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, China, Egypt, Paraguay, Turkey, India, Slovenia, Croatia, Thailand, and the European Union’s executive arm.
Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki was also invited. His foreign policy adviser, Marcin Przydacz, confirmed the outreach, stating, “President Nawrocki received an invitation from President Trump to participate in this council.”
Pakistan
confirmed receiving an invitation as well. A spokesperson from its foreign ministry said, “Pakistan will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions.”
Jordan’s foreign ministry said King Abdullah had received an invitation and that the proposal was under review through the country’s internal legal procedures.
Which countries have agreed to join?
Israel announced its decision on January 21. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the board is intended to help end the Gaza conflict and could later address other international disputes.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have also joined.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan accepted the invitation, with Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan saying the move reflects Abu Dhabi’s support for the full implementation of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which he described as essential for protecting the legitimate rights of Palestinians.
Bahrain formally confirmed its participation on January 20. Its foreign ministry said the decision aligns with the kingdom’s backing of the US peace initiative and its commitment to promoting stability in Gaza and the wider region.
Bahrain’s acceptance coincides with the start of its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2026–2027.
Egypt has also agreed to join, stating that it will support the board’s work in line with the UN Security Council mandate.
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry announced its participation, saying, “Azerbaijan, as always, is ready to actively contribute to international cooperation, peace, and stability.”
Armenia has also signed on, despite its decades-long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended with a US-brokered peace agreement last August.
Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has confirmed its participation, as have Argentina, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Kosovo, and Bahrain.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an agreement to join the Board of Peace. State media released footage of the signing and quoted him as saying he hoped to contribute towards peace in Ukraine.
Canada has said it will take part in the initiative but has made clear it will not pay
the $1 billion fee required for permanent membership.
Who is still undecided?
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is considering the invitation and will announce a decision soon.
He said, “We have received an invitation. Our President is being invited as a founding member, on behalf of Turkey (and) will likely make his decision on this matter very soon.”
China and India have not issued official statements regarding their participation, leaving their positions unclear.
Jordan is reviewing the proposal through internal legal processes, while Pakistan has stated its continued engagement with international peace efforts without explicitly confirming membership.
Trump has also attempted to cajole French President Emmanuel Macron
into joining by “threatening” to hit French wines and champagnes with 200 per cent tariffs.
Which countries have rejected the initiative?
Norway’s state secretary Kristoffer Thoner said the initiative “raises a number of questions that requires further dialogue with the United States.” He also confirmed Norway would not attend the signing ceremony in Davos.
Sweden has also declined. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his country would not sign up “as the text currently stands,” according to Swedish news agency TT.
Italy has chosen not to participate, with Corriere della Sera reporting that the government believes joining a group led by a single foreign leader could conflict with Italy’s constitution.
Ukraine and the United Kingdom have expressed concerns about Russia’s involvement in the board.
What is the Gaza Board of Peace and what remains unclear?
According to the White House, the Board of Peace will oversee a wide range of post-conflict responsibilities, including “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding and capital mobilisation.”
In formal invitation letters to world leaders, Trump described the board as a transformative institution, writing that it would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”
“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 wrote.
The board is expected to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance following the ceasefire that has been in place since October. Its mandate initially focuses on Gaza but could later expand to address other global conflicts.
Despite the large number of invitations sent and several confirmations received, many aspects of the Board of Peace remain .
It is not yet clear how many additional countries may join, how broad the board’s authority will be, or how its decision-making process will function.
With inputs from agencies
End of Article
