U.S. President Donald Trump launched his new “Board of Peace” on Thursday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump personally hosted a signing ceremony for the founding charter of his body dedicated to resolving international conflicts, which has a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership, calling it a “very exciting day, long in the making” while boosting its chance of “becoming the most consequential board in history.”
The president noted “everybody” wants to be a part of the Board of Peace but its efforts will not be exclusive saying he will continue to “work with many others, including the United Nations.”
“Just one year ago the world was actually on fire, a lot of people didn’t know it,” Trump told the audience in Davos while reassuring them “things are really starting to calm down.”
On the Ukraine war, he said: “The one I thought was going to be an easy one has turned out to be probably the most difficult.”
President Donald Trump, center, signs the Board of Peace charter during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump reaffirmed the Board of Peace will start with a focus on Gaza but then look globally, AP notes.
“I think we can spread out to other things as as we succeed with Gaza, we’re going to be very successful in Gaza,” Trump said, adding, “We can do numerous other things. Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do.
He promised again to work “in conjunction with the United Nations,” though he still criticized the U.N. for not doing enough historically.
President Donald Trump, right, greets leaders as he arrives for a Board of Peace charter announcement during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“I think the combination of the Board of Peace with the kind of people we have here, coupled with the United Nations, can be something very, very unique for the world,” Trump said.
He thanked attendees at the ceremony, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair: “Thank you Tony for being here, we appreciate it.”
The BBC reports the Board of Peace will be made up of world leaders and was originally conceived as part of the plan to rebuild Gaza, but its mandate and geo-political ambitions have now been widened.
Seven countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt previously announced they would join the board. Israel has also publicly confirmed its participation, as Breitbart News reported.
A number of countries had already signed up – including Morocco, Belarus and Bahrain.
Canada, Russia and the UK are among nations to have also been invited however Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC the UK wouldn’t be a signatory immediately, citing concerns about the involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
RELATED: No Force? Trump Says at Davos That He Will Not Use Military Force to Acquire Greenland
The Board of Peace’s framework includes a dedicated “Gaza Executive Board.”This will be responsible for overseeing all on-the-ground work of a Gaza administrative group, according to the White House.
Trump is named as chairman – and separately as the U.S. representative – and has authority to appoint executive board members and create or dissolve subsidiary bodies.
The White House has already listed seven members of the founding executive board, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: [email protected]
Read the full article here