US President Donald Trump's government has asked countries to pay US$ billion for a permanent spot on his "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter, seen Monday by AFP.
The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Member countries – represented on the board by their head of state – would be allowed to join for three years, or longer if they paid more than US$1 billion within the first year, the charter says.
"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 board's draft charter says.
"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 board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but its charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.
The White House said there would be a main board, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern devastated Gaza, and a second "executive board" that appears designed to have a more advisory role.
"The Board of Peace is 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 charter says.
It appears to take a swipe at international institutions such as the United Nations, saying that the board should have "the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed."
Trump has regularly criticised the United Nations and announced this month that his country will withdraw from 66 global organisations and treaties – roughly half affiliated with the UN.
Membership of the board would be "limited to States invited to participate by the Chairman," according to the draft charter.
Trump would have the power to remove member states from the board, subject to a veto by two-third of members, and choose his replacement should he leave his role as chairman.
The "Board of Peace" began to take shape on Saturday when the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada were asked to join.
Trump also named as members US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, senior negotiator Steve Witkoff and the US president's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Israel has objected to the line-up of a "Gaza executive board" to operate under the body, which includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi.
What is Trump's 'Board of Peace'?
US President Donald Trump's government has asked countries to pay US $1 billion for a permanent spot on his "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter seen by AFP. The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, but the charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Board of Peace will be chaired by Trump, according to its founding charter. It is "an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict," reads the preamble of the charter sent to countries invited to participate. It will "undertake such peace-building functions in accordance with international law", it adds.
Who's boss?
Trump will be chairman but also "separately serve as inaugural representative of the United States of America." The chairman "shall have exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities as necessary or appropriate to fulfill the Board of Peace's mission," the document states. Trump will pick members of an Executive Board to be "leaders of global stature" to "serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the Chairman." He may also, "acting on behalf of the Board of Peace," "adopt resolutions or other directives." The chairman can be replaced only in case of "voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity."
Who can be a member?
Member states have to be invited by the US president, and will be represented by their head of state or government. Each member "shall serve a term of no more than three years," the charter says. But "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," it adds. The board will "convene voting meetings at least annually", and "each member State shall have one vote." But while all decisions require "a majority of Member States present and voting", they will also be "subject to the approval of the Chairman, who may also cast a vote in his capacity as Chairman in the event of a tie."
Who has been invited to be on Trump's Gaza boards?
US President Donald Trump's administration has reached out to various figures around the world to sit on a so-called "Board of Peace" and related entities meant to oversee governance and reconstruction in post-war Gaza. The White House said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern the war-wracked territory, and a second "executive board" that appears designed to have a more advisory role. Here is the list of people involved so far in the various entities:
CONFIRMED BY WHITE HOUSE
BOARD OF PEACE – The White House says this body will focus on issues such as "governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding and capital mobilisation."
US President Donald Trump, chair; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Steve Witkoff, Trump's special negotiator; Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law; Tony Blair, former UK prime minister; Marc Rowan, billionaire US financier; Ajay Banga, World Bank president; Robert Gabriel, loyal Trump aide on the National Security Council.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF GAZA – This body, made up of technocrats, will "oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilisation of daily life in Gaza."
Ali Shaath, former Palestinian Authority deputy minister (head of committee)
GAZA EXECUTIVE BOARD – This entity is meant to "support effective governance" and deliver services for the people of Gaza.
Steve Witkoff; Jared Kushner; Tony Blair; Marc Rowan; Nickolay Mladenov, Bulgarian diplomat; Sigrid Kaag, UN humanitarian coordinator for Gaza; Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Ali Al-Thawadi, Qatari diplomat; General Hassan Rashad, director of Egypt's intelligence agency; Reem Al-Hashimy, Emirati minister; Yakir Gabay, Israeli billionaire
LEADERS WHO SAY THEY WERE INVITED TO JOIN
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama; Argentine President Javier Milei; Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi; Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Jordanian King Abdullah II; Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif; Paraguayan President Santiago Peña; Romanian President Nicusor Dan; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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