Board of Peace

Organization led by Donald Trump

8 min read

The Board of Peace (BoP), or the Peace Board, is an international organization with the stated purpose of promoting peacekeeping around the world. Established by Donald Trump and led by the government of the United States, the board is named in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 as a body tasked with overseeing the processes of the Gaza peace plan. The Board of Peace was proposed in September 2025 and formally established on the side-lines of the 56th World Economic Forum in January 2026.

Resolution 2803 welcomed the board to aid with reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, via the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and authorized it to deploy a temporary peacekeeping force. Participating countries are required to contribute US$1 billion to the organization to renew membership after the first three years. As of 2026, 25 of the 62 invited countries have signed the board's charter.

Several policy analysts and officials have expressed concerns about the board’s governance model, raising concerns over the decision-making authority concentrated in its chair. European nations have expressed concern over the possibility of the board usurping the role of the United Nations. Trump has stated that the BoP could potentially replace the United Nations (UN) while also expressing continued support for the latter, and has defended the former's reputation, describing it as “the most prestigious Board ever assembled, at any time, any place”.

Background

The Gaza war began in October 2023 following a series of coordinated armed attacks carried out by Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups in southern Israel on 7 October 2023. During the subsequent conflict, the United States maintained diplomatic and military support to Israel, while Israel became the subject of genocide allegations in proceedings initiated by South Africa before the International Court of Justice in December 2023, allegations which Israel has rejected.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair initially proposed placing the Gaza Strip under international administration in August 2025. United States president Donald Trump presented a similar plan in late September 2025 which was partially accepted by both the Israeli government and Hamas the following month.

The United Nations Security Council adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 on 17 November 2025 welcoming the establishment of the BoP. Resolution 2803 authorized the board to deploy a International Stabilization Force to the Gaza Strip. The US Congress played no role in authorizing the project, and it was described by an MS NOW opinion writer as the latest in a series of attempted power grabs by Trump. Following the entry into force of the Gaza peace agreement two days earlier, Blair met Hussein al-Sheikh (the Vice President of Palestine) on 12 October 2025 in Jordan to discuss the reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. That evening, Trump declared "the war is over" and that the BoP would be formed quickly.

History

In early January 2026, it was reported that Nikolay Mladenov (former United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process) had been chosen to serve as BoP director-general. Mladenov subsequently held meetings with al-Sheikh and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On 11 January 2026, it was reported that Trump was expected to announce within the week the individuals whom he would appoint to the BoP. In response, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem called for the expedited establishment of the NCAG.

With the commencement of the second phase of the Gaza Peace Agreement on 14 January 2026, it was reported that the United States had sent invitations to several countries to join the board and that it would have its first meeting on the side-lines of the World Economic Forum summit the following week. Trump announced the formation of the board on 15 January 2026 via a post on Truth Social, which said, "It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed. The Members of the Board will be announced shortly, but I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place."

On 17 January 2026, Argentine president Javier Milei and Argentine ambassador to the United States Alec Oxenford announced that Trump had formally invited Argentina to join the Board and become a founding member. Milei posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he thanked Trump for the invitation, calling it an "honor" and reaffirming that Argentina "stand[s] with the countries" that "confront terrorism head-on" and "defend life and property".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were also invited by Trump, with Carney confirming his participation. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama posted on Facebook that Albania had been personally invited to join the Board and become a founding member, describing it as major international recognition and a sign of the country's growing international standing.

On 20 January 2026, Trump referenced the "Board of Peace", citing that "the United Nations never helped [him]" as a reason for its existence and claiming that it "might" replace the UN. On 22 January 2026, Trump hosted a signing ceremony for the founding charter of the BoP on the side-lines of the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos. Leaders and foreign ministers of 19 countries, in addition to the United States, attended the BoP signing ceremony in Davos and signed the founding charter.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose not to attend the ceremony, citing his concern over arrest by Swiss authorities, which had stated that they were "obliged to cooperate" with the International Criminal Court arrest warrant regarding his alleged war crimes. On 7 February, it was reported that the first session of the Board of Peace was scheduled for 19 February, and will deal with dismantling Hamas military infrastructures.

During the 19 February 2026 summit, Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco pledged to send troops for an International Stabilization Force consisting of 20,000 soldiers, while Egypt and Jordan agreed to train the police, which are expected to number 12,000. Furthermore, the United States pledged $10 billion for the board's efforts while nine other member states pledged another $7 billion.

Structure

The charter of the BoP outlines a multi-level structure for the organization, which includes:

Donald Trump, designated as chairman for life.
The board proper, mainly comprising national leaders. About sixty were invited by Trump.
The Board of Peace Executive Board, with a focus on diplomacy and investment. Seven members were appointed by Trump.
The Gaza Executive Board, to direct the NCAG. Its head, Nikolay Mladenov, who was appointed to the board alongside ten others, is titled the High Representative for Gaza.

Chairman

Trump is explicitly named in the BoP's charter as its chairman. He is not subject to term limits and holds the sole authority to nominate his designated successor. According to the charter, as the chairman, he is exclusively authorized to invite countries to join the BoP. In that capacity, he also has the exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities of the board. All revisions to the charter, as well as administrative directives issued by the BoP, are subject to his approval. Trump's chairmanship is independent of his presidency of the United States, and he has indicated that he wants to remain chairman for life.

Membership

Around 60 countries received invitations to join the BoP from Trump. No countries from Sub-Saharan Africa received invitations. The following countries were invited to participate as founding members. Countries that wish to be permanent members of the BoP must pay US$1 billion into a fund controlled by Trump; otherwise, each country serves a three-year term which may be renewed at his discretion.

Invitation accepted

The following states signed the charter of the BoP. All states, other than El Salvador and Israel, signed the charter on 22 January 2026 and became founding members.

The following states expressed an intent to accept their invitations to the BoP:

Observers

The following states, along with the European Union, have yet to accept or have declined their invitation to the board. Nonetheless, they attended the first meeting of the Board of Peace as observers.