Trump seeks $1 bn from nations to join his ‘board of peace’
The Trump administration is requesting that nations seeking a permanent position on his newly established Board of Peace contribute a minimum of $1 billion. A draft charter for the proposed group, as reported, indicates that President Donald Trump would take on the role of inaugural chairman and would have the authority to determine membership invitations. Decisions would be made by a majority, with each member state present receiving one vote; however, all would require the chairman’s approval. “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 three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force,” the draft states.
Concerns have been raised by critics regarding Trump’s efforts to establish an alternative, or rival, to the United Nations, an institution he has consistently criticized. The charter characterizes the board as “an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.” It will be deemed official once three member states reach an agreement on the charter. The document states that Trump would also be responsible for approving the group’s official seal. Officials at the White House did not respond promptly to a request for comment.
Trump has extended invitations to several world leaders, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and Canada’s Mark Carney, to join a Board of Peace for Gaza, which is set to be established under the larger framework of his new Board of Peace. The plan faced immediate backlash from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remarked that the specifics had not been discussed with his nation. According to sources, several European nations have received invitations to join the peace board. The draft indicates that Trump would have direct control over the funds, a scenario deemed unacceptable by many nations that might have been inclined to join the board, according to sources. Numerous countries are firmly against the draft of Trump’s charter and are collaborating to resist the proposals, the sources indicated.
The draft charter states that the Board of Peace would hold voting meetings at least once a year and “at such additional times and locations as the Chairman deems appropriate.” The agenda is to be approved by the chairman. The peace board is set to conduct regular non-voting meetings alongside its executive board. Meetings of this nature would be held at least once every quarter. Trump would also possess the authority to remove a member, contingent upon a veto by a two-thirds majority of member states. “The Chairman shall at all times designate a successor for the role of Chairman,” the charter states. On Friday, the White House revealed the establishment of an initial executive panel comprising Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, prior to the formation of the comprehensive board.
