Trump and 18 states sign Board of Peace charter in Davos

The signing took place during Trump’s visit to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. The Board of Peace was announced last year as part of a US-backed Israel-Hamas ceasefire framework and has been described by Washington as a mechanism to support post-conflict governance and reconstruction in Gaza.

Despite the number of signatories cited by the White House, there was a notable absence of leaders from Western European countries at the ceremony. Several European governments have expressed reservations, citing legal procedures and institutional concerns. In particular, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said joining such an organization would require parliamentary approval and closer alignment with a United Nations mandate.

Belgium, on the other hand, publicly denied signing the charter after initially appearing on a White House list of participants. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot stated that Brussels prefers a coordinated European approach and has reservations about the proposal. The United Kingdom, in turn, has also raised concerns, particularly about the potential involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been invited but is reportedly still considering participation.

Trump earlier drew attention when he suggested the board might replace the United Nations, but later described it as having strong potential to work with the UN. He said the board would cooperate with existing international institutions, noting that the United Nations adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution in November establishing the Board of Peace.

Questions have also been raised about the draft charter, which reportedly offers three-year membership terms to participating states, while granting permanent membership to those contributing $1 billion in cash within the first year.

Addressing the situation in Gaza, Trump said the Israel-Hamas war was nearing an end and called for Hamas to disarm, warning of consequences if it did not. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the board as a work in progress and said additional countries could join as they complete internal approval processes.

According to the White House, countries listed as participants alongside the United States include Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the Charter of the Board of Peace in Davos.