BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” initially framed as a mechanism to help end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, is emerging as a far more ambitious initiative that could reshape global diplomacy and challenge the post-World War II international system dominated by the United Nations.
In letters sent Friday to a number of world leaders inviting them to become “founding members,” Trump outlined a vision for the Board of Peace that goes well beyond Gaza. He described the body as a new international organization intended to take on multiple global crises through what he called a “bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”
Copies of the invitation letters posted Saturday on official social media accounts by Argentine President Javier Milei and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña offered the clearest indication yet of Trump’s broader aims. The letters referenced Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, which includes the creation of the Board of Peace and notes that the plan was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. The language suggested the proposed panel of world leaders would not be limited to overseeing Gaza-related matters.
“Now it is time to turn all of these dreams into reality,” Trump wrote in the letters. “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 Organization and Transitional Governing Administration.”
Other governments confirmed Saturday that they had received similar invitations, including Canada, Egypt and Turkey. Officials said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were among those contacted. It remained unclear how many total invitations were sent or which additional leaders were being considered.
Trump’s apparent effort to elevate the Board of Peace into a standing international institution — potentially serving as an alternative forum to the United Nations — is expected to provoke sharp opposition from many countries. Any attempt to bypass or rival the U.N. would face resistance from major powers such as China and Russia, both of which hold veto authority on the U.N. Security Council and have a strong interest in preserving the current international framework.
Smaller and developing nations could also object, as the United Nations has historically provided them with a platform, however limited, to participate in global decision-making since the end of World War II. Critics argue that a new body dominated by a smaller group of influential states could further marginalize those voices.
A senior U.S. official said the idea of giving the Board of Peace a broader global mandate remains “aspirational,” but added that Trump and his advisers believe it is achievable. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the administration does not view the board as an outright replacement for the United Nations but sees it as a potential catalyst that could pressure existing institutions into action.
The Trump administration has long expressed deep frustration with the United Nations and the wider international system. During Trump’s presidency, the U.S. moved to cut billions of dollars in funding for international organizations and humanitarian programs. Trump and his allies have repeatedly criticized the U.N. as ineffective, bloated and weighed down by overlapping agencies that they argue fail to deliver results and promote ideological agendas at odds with U.S. priorities.
The invitation letters followed Trump’s social media post Thursday announcing that the Board of Peace had already been formed and that its membership would be revealed “shortly.” Administration officials said a formal announcement is expected next week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump and senior aides are scheduled to meet with global leaders.
The push also comes after the White House released the names of several figures who will be involved in overseeing the next phase of the Gaza plan, including an executive committee intended to help carry out the broader vision of the Board of Peace. Israel’s government objected publicly on Saturday, saying the announcement was made without coordination and ran counter to Israeli policy.
The executive committee includes senior Trump administration officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. It also features prominent figures from outside government, including Apollo Global Management chief executive Marc Rowan, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and World Bank President Ajay Banga.
The White House declined to comment Saturday on Trump’s longer-term ambitions for the Board of Peace or on the contents of the invitation letters shared by foreign leaders. The United Nations also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As details continue to emerge, Trump’s initiative is already raising fundamental questions about the future of global governance, the role of existing international institutions and whether a U.S.-backed alternative could realistically gain enough support to alter a system that has defined international relations for nearly eight decades.
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