Board of Peace: a New Kind of International Charter

After World War II, the major powers decided on peace by working together to create a system that will foster cooperation. The United Nations grew out of this idea so that states would work together to maintain security. The United Nations General Assembly is the main policy-making body of the organisation that includes 193 member states. Providing a space for conflict resolution is the main goal of the United Nations but many have seen the institution as powerless and ineffectual. The most recent and powerful critic has decided to do something about it, and through Resolution 2803 of the UN, establish the Board of Peace.

The initial idea of the Board of Peace was to provide security and reconstruction of Gaza in the aftermath of Israel’s retaliation on the violent non-state group Hamas. The UN Security Council approved the resolution in November 2025 with the intent to send an International stabilisation force to enter, demilitarize and govern Gaza. The resolution passed after years of isolation of the United States due to its support for Israel with 13-0 votes with the exception of Russia and China abstaining. Also included in this resolution included the birth of the Board of Peace, which was thinly defined at the time, to oversee Gaza through its transition into a stabilised territory. 

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the charter for the Board of Peace was announced and signed on the sidelines of the conference. From journalists who have seen a copy of the charter, it outlines the purpose of the charter which “seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.” It is noteworthy in this charter that Gaza is not specifically identified and that it seems to be a more broad document that might include anywhere that is embroiled in conflict. Another portion of the charter outlines membership of invited nations, which has raised a few questions. Any invited member states receive a three-year term that can be renewed under the review of the Chairman. For permanent membership, $1 billion US dollars cash must be submitted in the first year of entry into the Board of Peace. However, this membership fee does not include entry into the Executive Board, which is mandated to “be selected by the Chairman and consist of leaders of global stature.” The outline of the Board of Peace is still in its development stage, but who is already signing up to be a part of this new institution raises new questions.

Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump has determined that he will be the inaugural Chairman of the board. This position does not include a term limit and the successor is to be appointed by the Chairman. The Executive Board is also selected by the Chairman and includes individuals from the public and private sectors. The current Executive Board includes the following people: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who serves as the diplomatic lead, and senior adviser Jared Kushner, the principal architect of the administration’s “New Gaza” vision. They are joined by the U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and private equity executive Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management. Rounding out the committee are World Bank President Ajay Banga and U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel.” As for the member states who signed on to the Board of Peace at Davos, the following countries participated in the signing event: Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. It is noted that many countries in the Middle East are present for this event, which can be seen as an endorsement that will help bring stability to Gaza. It also seems that many European countries are hesitant for this charter. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, and Ukraine have all declined their invitation and most controversially, Canada has had their invitation withdrawn. Most western countries have observed that the whole idea of the Board of Peace will undermine the United Nations. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said “In my opinion, the basic responsibility for international peace and security lies with U.N., lies with the Security Council,” and “Only the Security Council can adopt decisions binding on all, and no other body or other coalition can legally be required to have all member states to comply with decisions on peace and security.” It's hard to argue that peace-keeping and conflict resolution needs reform on the global level, but creating a multi-tiered system that is dependent on your financial contribution, will continue to isolate many states after so many years of developing a global institution like the United Nations.