Trump’s plan to create a ‘Board of Peace’ prompts renewed U.N. debate

President Donald Trump is establishing a “Board of Peace” intended to play a role in global conflicts beyond Gaza, a move that has raised questions about whether it is meant to sidestep the United Nations’ Security Council and what that could mean for the U.N.’s future as a peace-brokering force, according to a report by The Associated Press.

In a White House press briefing, Trump criticized the U.N.’s record, telling reporters that “The U.N. just hasn’t been very helpful.” He also said the U.N. “should have settled every one of the wars that I settled,” and added that he “never went to them” and “never even thought to go to them.” Still, Trump said “I believe you got to let the U.N. continue, because the potential is so great.”

A board shaped by invited heads of state, with a broader mediation pitch

The AP reported that Trump’s Board of Peace is expected to be composed largely of invited heads of state. While the Security Council in November authorized the board as a transitional body to oversee a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the AP said Trump has described the board as a mediator for other global conflicts as well.

In the context of the U.N.’s ongoing changes, the AP linked the plan to a broader pattern of U.S. criticism of multilateral institutions. It reported that a decades-long reform effort at the United Nations gained new impetus after the Trump administration last year set out to eliminate billions of dollars in funding to international organizations and humanitarian assistance, and described changes that include cutting humanitarian efforts and consolidating agencies.

Uncertainty about whether the board can replace the Security Council

The report described Trump’s criticism of the Security Council as part of his approach to global conflict mediation. AP said the Security Council has struggled in recent years to end wars, including in Gaza and Ukraine, and that Trump has repeated those concerns since the start of his second term.

Retired U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood, who previously served at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, told AP that if Trump is trying to replace the Security Council with a Board of Peace dealing with issues beyond Gaza, “I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of interest.” Wood said he would urge member states, including the United States, “Let’s try to work together to try to make the United Nations a better instrument. It really is the best instrument we have, given all its warts.”

U.N. officials say it is too early to assess the board’s shape

On Wednesday, U.N. officials dismissed concerns raised by the plan, the AP reported. Farhan Haq, the U.N. deputy spokesperson, said there have been a number of organizations—including regional organizations and defense alliances—that have coexisted with the U.N. over its 80-year history.

Haq also said, “It’s too early to tell what the Board of Peace will look like.” He added that multilateral peacebuilding involving more than 190 member countries over decades is unlikely to be replaced by the board.

Who is joining: some acceptance, other refusals and concerns

The AP said it was not immediately clear how many countries would accept Trump’s invitation. It reported that eight Muslim countries—including Qatar, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates—accepted the invitation on Wednesday and, in a joint statement, reaffirmed support for the board’s original mission tied to peace and reconstruction in Gaza and the Palestinians’ right to statehood.

The AP reported that France said it will not accept the invitation. It said Russia, China and Britain—along with France—hold veto power on the Security Council and were still assessing the offer. As of Wednesday, Norway, Sweden and Slovenia had also declined, the AP said. The report said Slovenia’s main concern was that the board’s mandate is too broad and could undermine the international order based on the U.N. Charter.

An EU diplomat told AP that EU countries “feels a bit awkward” about the effort and would prefer discussions on the Board of Peace plan regarding Gaza before engaging on the broader initiative.

Wider context: concerns about the rules-based order, and Guterres’ response

The AP placed the debate within broader concerns expressed by other leaders about multilateral institutions. It reported that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a Davos speech on Tuesday, warned that “The multilateral institutions on which the middle powers have relied … the very architecture of collective problem solving, are under threat.” Carney also said many countries are reaching the conclusion they must develop greater strategic autonomy in energy, food, critical minerals, finance and supply chains.

Separately, the AP reported that U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, asked by the BBC on Monday whether the U.N. can survive the Trump presidency, replied: “I have no doubt about it.” The report said Guterres added that he has confidence in the future of humankind and is “fighting as much as I can” to ensure the U.N. is part of a renewal he expects will become inevitable.

This article is algorithmically generated by Main Street Independent’s News Article Generator framework (Appendix F). CC0 license: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/.