Trump’s Board of Peace Signed in Davos

U.S. President Donald Trump rolled out his long-trailed “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos with sweeping claims and limited visible backing. Framed as a mechanism to oversee a Gaza ceasefire and eventually tackle other global conflicts, the board was presented as global and launched with representatives from 19 countries plus the United States.

Trump argued that success in Gaza could allow the board to expand into other conflicts when he said “this isn’t for the United States, this is for the world”.

The initiative traces back to Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire proposal, which had been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, giving the concept a measure of institutional pedigree even as Trump openly criticized the UN.

He has floated the idea that the board could eventually replace some UN functions, or even render the organization obsolete, before tempering that stance by saying the board would work “in conjunction with the United Nations.”

Gaza First, Politics Close Behind

The Gaza focus dominated the launch. Ali Shaath, introduced as the head of a new technocratic governing authority for Gaza under U.S. supervision, announced that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt would open in both directions next week, ending months of near-total closure since December during the war despite earlier Israeli commitments to reopen it.

The reopening addresses a key element of the October ceasefire brokered by President Trump that had yet to be implemented. Rafah is Gaza’s primary outlet for civilian movement and access beyond the enclave.

Ali Shaath said that for Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is “more than a gate,” calling it “a lifeline and a symbol of opportunity,” and added that reopening the crossing signals that “Gaza is no longer closed to the future or to the war.” More than 2 million Palestinians remain affected by a humanitarian crisis after more than two years of war, with violence continuing at lower intensity since the October ceasefire.

“Hamas Will Disarm”

Trump again emphasized disarming Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, calling it non-negotiable and warning of consequences if the group refused. He said the war “is really coming to an end,” while acknowledging the presence of “little fires” still burning.

His language echoed earlier remarks that unsettled allies and Palestinians alike, including his description of Gaza as “a beautiful piece of property” and his realestate-inflected argument that “everything begins with location,” comments that revive uncomfortable memories of proposals aired months earlier about population displacement during reconstruction.

Allies Hold Back, Questions Mount

Despite Trump’s assertion that 59 countries had signed early on, many of Washington’s closest allies did not attend the signing ceremony, a move that some observers interpret as possible hesitation over the proposed $1 billion contribution for permanent membership, though no official reasons were apparent.

Yet skepticism was visible in who stayed away. France, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Ukraine, China, and the European Union’s executive arm have not committed. Britain’s foreign secretary said London would not sign on because the board involved “a legal treaty that raises much broader issues,” adding concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s potential role given the absence of peace in Ukraine.

Moscow is reportedly consulting strategic partners while Putin floated a proposal to contribute $1 billion for humanitarian purposes, contingent on U.S. action to unblock Russian frozen funds in America.

“I Like These Guys”

Trump brushed off the absences with personal assurances, expressing confidence in the makeup of the Board of Peace, stressing his personal comfort with its members. He said they were “friends” adding that unlike most such gatherings, there was not “a couple - maybe two or three - that I don’t like,” and that this time he “actually likes this entire group… every single one of them.”

Among those present was Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who signed the Board of Peace charter alongside Trump, signaling Türkiye’s participation even as several NATO allies demurred.

The board’s branding also drew quiet notice, with observers noticing the board’s logo appeared distinctly “America-centric”, reinforcing perceptions that the initiative reflects U.S. priorities more than a genuinely multilateral design.

UN Shadow and Strategic Limits

The board’s future role remains undefined. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said some governments require parliamentary approval before joining, while others not initially invited have expressed interest. Yet concerns persist that the board could dilute established multilateral mechanisms without replacing them. Trump’s oscillation between criticizing the UN and pledging cooperation with it left unresolved how authority, funding, and enforcement would work in practice.

For now, the Board of Peace exists as a high-profile political signal rather than an operational framework. Its launch, overshadowed earlier in the week by Trump’s Greenland threats and reversal, highlighted both the president’s appetite for grand institutional redesign and the limits imposed by allied caution.

Whether the board evolves into a durable mechanism or remains a Davos-era gesture will depend less on rhetoric than on whether skeptical partners decide the costs of staying out outweigh the risks of joining.