Countries that want a permanent role on President Trump’s “Board of Peace” are being asked to pony up $1 billion.
Nations that want to remain on the Board of Peace beyond a three‑year term can do so if they are willing to pay, according to a draft charter first reported by Bloomberg News.
“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman. The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force,” the draft says.
The board was initially envisioned as a vehicle for implementing Mr. Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
But the charter outlines a far broader mandate, fueling speculation that Mr. Trump sees it as a potential alternative to the United Nations, which has often frustrated the administration.
The board is described in the charter as “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
The White House announced its executive board includes, among others, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The prospect of the Board of Peace emerging as a rival to the United Nations would likely unsettle governments that prefer the current global order. China and Russia, for example, hold veto power on the U.N. Security Council.
Mr. Trump has sent invitation letters to Argentine President Javier Milei, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Egyptian President Abdel‑Fattah el‑Sissi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The U.N. Security Council in November passed a resolution supporting the Trump administration’s plan for ending the Israel‑Hamas conflict in Gaza and endorsed the establishment of the “Board of Peace as a transitional administration with international legal personality that will set the framework, and coordinate funding for, the redevelopment of Gaza.”
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
