President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a new “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, flanked by foreign leaders and envoys, pledging that the body would work alongside the United Nations to address global conflict hotspots—amid widespread international concern that it could sideline the UN Security Council.
The idea of the board initially emerged as a US-backed initiative to help end the war in Gaza before Washington expanded it into a broader global mechanism. The UN Security Council approved its creation last November through Resolution 2803, mandating oversight of peace and reconstruction efforts in the devastated enclave. However, the council’s charter makes no explicit reference to Gaza, instead defining its mission as “restoring dependable and lawful governance and securing enduring peace” worldwide, particularly in conflict zones or areas at risk.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Trump said, “As everyone can see today, the first steps toward a brighter day for the Middle East and a much safer future for the world are unfolding right before your very eyes.”
None of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council attended, leaving the United States as the sole participant from the five veto-wielding powers. Russia said late Wednesday that it was considering the invitation.
Attendance also fell short of a senior US official’s earlier projection of 35 participants. The gathering was dominated by representatives from the Middle East and South America, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Argentina and Paraguay.
“This is the greatest board ever assembled, and everybody wants to be on it,” Trump told reporters. “I have some controversial people on it, but these are people that get the job done. These are people that have tremendous influence.”
Despite his past attacks on the United Nations—including accusing it last September of funding an attack on the West by supporting irregular migration—Trump stressed that the new council would coordinate closely with the world body. “We'll work with the United Nations. But the Board of Peace is going to be special. We're going to have peace,” he said.
The council’s executive arm includes senior diplomatic and political figures such as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, billionaire investor Mark Rowan, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and Trump adviser Robert Gabriel.
Trump appointed Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Groinbaum to oversee strategy and operations. Former UN Middle East envoy Nikolai Mladenov was named Gaza’s senior representative, while Maj. Gen. Jasper Gievers, a former US special operations commander, was appointed head of the international stabilization force.
In parallel, the White House announced the creation of a “Gaza Executive Board,” comprising Mladenov, Witkoff, Kushner, Blair and Rowan, alongside Egypt’s intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UAE Minister Reem Al Hashemy, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay and Dutch politician Sigrid Kaag.
The boards stated aim, according to the White House, is “providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.” Human rights advocates, however, have criticized Trump’s oversight of a non-US territory as evoking colonial imagery.
