Trump hints new 'Board of Peace' may outgrow Gaza mission, threaten UN role

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: President Donald Trump added fresh momentum to speculation that his newly created ‘Board of Peace’ could one day rival the United Nations as a global conflict arbiter.

Speaking during a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, January 21, Trump suggested that the board’s work in Gaza was only the opening chapter of a broader international mission.

"It started with Gaza," Trump said in a remark that quickly drew notice among diplomats. The comment indicated that the body - chaired by Trump and tasked with overseeing a technocratic interim government in the enclave - was intended to extend far beyond the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Trump calls the Board of Peace 'most prestigious’

Trump’s comment to Sisi reflected a wider effort to frame the board as a standing institution on the world stage. By saying that the project “started” with Gaza, he seemingly implied that the framework being assembled could be applied to other geopolitical flashpoints.

"It’s going to be the most prestigious board ever formed," Trump said of the body. The vision aligned with his preference for building new coalitions over relying on existing international structures, which he had long criticized as ineffective.

Trump claims 'the UN just hasn’t been very helpful'

The scope of that ambition became clearer in remarks Trump made to reporters before arriving in Davos. When asked whether the board could replace the UN’s central mediation role, he did not dismiss the idea.

"Well, it might. The UN just hasn’t been very helpful," Trump said. "I’m a big fan of the UN's potential, but it has never lived up to its potential. The UN should have settled every one of the wars that I settled."

The comments signaled that the Board of Peace was being positioned not merely as a complementary institution to the UN, but as an alternative mechanism for global dispute resolution.

Global leaders clamor for 'Board of Peace' seats

Trump said interest in joining the board had surged despite its exclusivity. "I have a little bit of the opposite problem: People want to be on it. We didn’t ask them. They want to get on," he told reporters.

While noting that some governments required parliamentary approval, Trump said demand remained high. "For the most part, everybody wants to be on it," he said, describing the influx as evidence of the board’s stature.

Billion dollar price for membership

A permanent seat on the board carried a requested contribution of $1 billion, a threshold that had not dampened interest. Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told CNBC that "we have north of 20, maybe 25 world leaders who have already accepted" invitations.

The full roster has not been released, but several countries have confirmed their participation, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Canada, Egypt, Hungary, Israel, Kosovo, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.

The emerging lineup reflected a broad coalition of governments aligning with Trump’s new diplomatic vehicle.