As the world grapples with a myriad of conflicts, US President Donald Trump has unveiled a bold new initiative – the “Board of Peace” – that aims to position him as the peacemaker-in-chief. Unveiled at the Davos Economic Forum, the plan has drawn both praise and criticism from world leaders.
The Board, to be chaired by Trump himself in perpetuity, promises to “end decades of suffering, stop generations of hatred and bloodshed, and forge a beautiful, everlasting and glorious peace.” However, the details of the Board’s charter have raised alarm bells, granting the president sweeping powers to invite or exclude member states, create or dissolve subsidiary bodies, and even appoint his own successor.
For many observers, this latest move is seen as Trump’s drive to dismantle the post-war international architecture and replace it with new institutions dominated by the US. “We will not let anyone play us,” warned Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, echoing the concerns of several European leaders.
Nonetheless, Trump’s staunchest supporters, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have hailed the initiative, declaring “If Trump, then peace.” The president has also claimed that the Board will work “in conjunction with the United Nations,” though he has previously questioned the UN’s effectiveness, stating that “the UN just hasn’t been very helpful.”
The Board’s inauguration in Davos saw the participation of 19 countries from across the globe, including Argentina, Azerbaijan, and several Gulf nations. However, many others have politely declined to join, citing concerns about the broader implications of the proposal.
“This is about a treaty that raises much broader issues, and we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something that is talking about peace,” explained the UK’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Even a group of predominantly Muslim countries, including six Arab nations, Turkey, and Indonesia, made it clear that their involvement was limited to seeking a “just and lasting peace in Gaza,” a goal not explicitly mentioned in the leaked details of the Board’s charter.
As the Board takes shape, it includes Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to stop the establishment of a Palestinian state, and Arab leaders who insist that the only path to sustainable peace must lead to Palestinian self-governance and the end of the Israeli occupation.
The UN, which has long struggled to fulfill its role as the world’s peacemaker, has expressed concerns about Trump’s unilateral approach. UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently lamented that “there are those that believe the power of law should be replaced by the law of power.”
While some critics acknowledge the potential for Trump’s initiative to push long-overdue reforms of the UN’s post-war architecture, including a Security Council that no longer aligns with the world’s political landscape, the overall sentiment remains one of caution and skepticism.
As the world watches this latest chapter in Trump’s efforts to reshape global order, the question remains: can the president truly succeed in his ambitious quest to become the world’s peacemaker-in-chief, or will his plan further undermine the already fragile international system?
