Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” is quietly evolving from a temporary Gaza reconstruction mechanism into a standing global body, raising questions about the future of international governance. The board, which would be chaired by Trump himself, is being positioned to operate in parallel to the United Nations, with the chair able to set the agenda, call meetings at will, and issue resolutions unilaterally.
More than 60 world leaders have reportedly been invited to participate. However, membership lasting more than three years would require a contribution of $1bn. The plan, which is part of a 20-point proposal to end the war in Gaza, now appears to extend well beyond its original scope, with Gaza barely mentioned in Trump’s latest announcements.
The shift has alarmed diplomats who had previously viewed the board as a temporary fix. A UN Security Council resolution passed in November was intended to lend legitimacy to a Trump-brokered ceasefire, but the current charter recasts the body as a permanent institution. Palestinian-American historian Rashid Khalidi described the developments as “the masks being dropped”, adding that the world is returning to a “pre-first world war era of naked imperialism”.
Speaking at Davos, Trump appeared to row back on threats of tariffs against European countries, though his remarks on Greenland were met with scepticism. Meanwhile, the situation in Gaza remains volatile, with 464 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire announced in October, according to the source. The board’s future role remains unclear, but its expansion has prompted urgent questions about governance in Palestine and beyond.
