Trump's $1.5 Billion Board of Peace: A Game-Changer or a Cause for Concern?

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A Donald Trump-led organisation that seeks to facilitate peace in the Middle East and beyond could, in fact, do the opposite and cause damage to the international order, experts warn.

Trump has invited world leaders to join his so-called ‘Board of Peace’, an entity that started with a mandate to oversee the administration and reconstruction of Gaza, but has quickly ballooned in its planned remit.

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off on Trump’s plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic administration will be overseen by an international board, which will supervise Gaza’s governance for a transitional period.

Diplomats have said the plan risks undermining existing United Nations structures, with reports that permanent seats could be bought for a billion dollars, according to media reports.

Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said officials around the world have been privately concerned the Board of Peace is a “Trumpian effort to replace the United Nations”.

“Those concerns are indeed borne out by virtue of the sheer number of UN members that are now invited to this Board of Peace,” he told ABC radio on Tuesday morning.

“Trump has ambitious plans and has mentioned the possibility of the Board of Peace playing a significant role in addressing conflicts in Ukraine, Venezuela, and Iran,” he stated.

Leaders from nations including Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, Egypt, Hungary, India, Italy, Jordan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Türkiye, and Vietnam have been extended invitations to join as founding members.

“These are the types of countries that seem to be aligning with Trump’s Board of Peace initiative,” he commented.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Trump boasted the board’s membership would bring together the “most important leaders of the most important nations”. Reuters reports invites have been extended to 60 nations.

As of Tuesday, only a few countries had accepted a place on the board, including Argentina and Hungary, which Lovatt described as “right-wing leaning” countries that have ideological similarities to Trump.

“There is no established timeline to conclude the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and uphold the Palestinian right to self-determination,” she expressed.

She emphasized that while financial investments in peace initiatives are crucial, organizations like the United Nations are essential to ensure effective humanitarian efforts.

Amra Lee, a PhD researcher and practitioner with the Australian National University’s Department of International Relations, told SBS News nothing about the board suggests it can foster “durable peace” in the Middle East.

“There is no clear timeframe to end the occupation [of Palestinian territories by Israel] and ensure respect for the Palestinian right to self-determination,” she said.

The occupation is considered illegal under international law. Israel says the territories are disputed.

Lee flagged that the board’s list of members, which includes politicians and billionaires, does not include people from the areas it looks to create peace, such as Palestinians or Iranians.

“The evidence shows durable peace is supported by inclusive processes with the parties involved, it is not something that can be imposed by external actors,” she said.

She said while investing money in peace processes is important, organisations such as the UN are needed to ensure proper humanitarian processes.

“This initiative appears to be part of a wider agenda to undermine the role of the UN and international law,” she said.

“The loudest critics of the UN are often those that prefer a world with no rules or order to constrain their behaviour.”

Endorsing the body could risk delegitimising the UN in the process, she added.

Lovatt said that even if the Board of Peace were to be dissolved at the end of Trump’s presidency, it could do lasting damage to the international order.

“Trump is trying to reengineer the global order,” he said.

“There are many reasons to believe he will not be successful, but I think the risk is not so much that Trump’s success in replacing the UN, but in the damage that he does to the current international order … it may be irreparably damaged.”

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Guterres “believes Member States are free to associate in different groups” in response to a question about the draft US charter for a Board of Peace.

Where will the money come from?

If the Board of Peace gains traction, it will raise questions around how it is funded.

According to the draft charter, member states that pay more than US$1 billion ($1.5 billion) in “cash funds” to the board within its first year can become permanent members of the body.

The White House named some individuals who will sit on the board, which would outlive its role supervising the temporary governance of Gaza, under a fragile ceasefire since October.

They included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

It also named a separate, 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” to support the technocratic body including officials from Turkey and Qatar.

Lovatt said poorer countries that have been invited, such as Argentina, may not be expected to pay this fee, putting the cost instead on wealthy individuals within the group.

“We should look to those billionaires who are on the executive board,” he said.

“And I think this is the danger. It’s mixing countries and states with private business. And I think that is a huge risk at that point for nepotism and corruption to take hold.”

Lee agreed that the funding model behind the Trump-led board would create further issues for peace resolution processes.

– With additional reporting from Reuters.