by Victoria Miele ’28 on January 29, 2026
News
On Jan. 22, President Donald Trump officially inaugurated his new Board of Peace, officially known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The administration’s intention for the board is to stop the conflict in Gaza; however, it has expanded its mission to promoting world peace, and the charter draft of the invitation to join the board has no mention of the Gaza Strip.
Trump has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, diplomat Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner, former Prime Minister of the U.K. Sir Tony Blair, Marc Rowan, Ajay Banga, and Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel to the Executive Board.
Trump invited dozens of countries to be part of the new board, but a concerning number of United States allies have not accepted. The board has support throughout many Middle Eastern countries, as well as some African and South American countries, but almost no countries in Europe or the European Union have decided to join. The price for a permanent seat on the board is $1 billion.
The deadline for joining the board was the World Economic Forum, which was held in Davos, Switzerland, and fewer than 20 countries were present at the board’s signing ceremony. The only European country there was Hungary, which has notoriously been one of Russia’s closest allies.
Countries currently in the Board of Peace include: the United States, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Jordan, Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Indonesia.
Originally, the plan was meant to be focused specifically on helping rebuild the Gaza Strip, as laid out by the 20-point plan that the U.S. brokered in September 2025. Since the original idea of the board was introduced, it has expanded its goals to be known as an “international organization” which intends to help promote peace in “areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
President Trump is set to be the chairman of the board indefinitely, indicating his position on the board could extend beyond his presidential term.
Kushner said that a huge component of their plan for restoring peace in Gaza is having Hamas demilitarize. He says the U.S. will enforce that section of the cease-fire agreement, but did not specify any further.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has reportedly said he supports the creation of the board, but he has also shown his frustration at the inclusion of Turkey and Qatar. There were no Israeli representatives present at the signing of the board in Davos, despite Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, being in Davos at the time.
Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has also expressed interest in joining the board, but says he must first discuss the financial details with the U.S. president. Carney has been incredibly public recently, specifically in Davos, about his frustration with the ways the U.S. has been conducting international business and “ripping up the global rules-based order.” Carney was not at the board’s signing. Canada’s invitation to the board has since been rescinded.
Concerns for many countries include that an invitation was sent to Russia. Many countries, such as Ukraine, find it difficult to work with Russia on a board meant to represent peace when their country is currently at war. Additionally, there are concerns about what the board will mean for the United Nations, and many countries, specifically in Europe, are trying to maintain loyalty to the U.N. and not do anything to disrupt its fragile balance.