The Board of Peace (BoP), or the Peace Board, is an international organization with the stated purpose of promoting peacebuilding around the world. Established by United States President Donald Trump and led by the government of the United States, the board is named in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 as a body tasked with overseeing the processes of the Gaza peace plan. The Board of Peace was proposed in September 2025 and formally established on the side-lines of the 56th World Economic Forum in January 2026.
Resolution 2803 welcomed the board to aid with reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip, via the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and authorized it to deploy a temporary peacekeeping force. Participating countries are required to contribute US$1 billion to the organization to renew membership after the first three years. , 25 of the 62 invited countries have signed the board's charter. The board's launch failed to attract enthusiasm from most world leaders, and it did not gain support from a number of Western countries.
Several policy analysts and officials have expressed concerns about the board's governance model, raising concerns over the decision-making authority concentrated in its chair, Donald Trump, who has indicated he intends to remain chairman for life. European nations have expressed concern over the board usurping the role of the United Nations (UN) and exceeding its stated purpose to aid the Gaza Strip. Trump has stated that the BoP could potentially replace the UN, while also expressing continued support for the latter, and has defended the BoP's reputation, describing it as "the most prestigious Board ever assembled, at any time, any place". By May 2026, the BoP had no funds in its official World Bank account, despite $17 billion in pledges by member states. Donations have gone into a J. P. Morgan account with no oversight.
Background
Following the destruction of the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair initially proposed placing the Strip under international administration in August 2025. United States President Donald Trump presented a similar plan in late September 2025 which was partially accepted by both the Israeli government and Hamas the following month.
The United Nations Security Council adopted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 on 17 November 2025 welcoming the establishment of the BoP. Resolution 2803 authorized the board to deploy an International Stabilization Force to the Gaza Strip. The US Congress played no role in authorizing the project, and it was described by an MS NOW opinion writer as the latest in a series of attempted power grabs by Trump. Following the entry into force of the Gaza peace agreement two days earlier, Blair met Hussein al-Sheikh (the Vice President of Palestine) on 12 October 2025 in Jordan to discuss the reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. That evening, Trump declared "the war is over" and that the BoP would be formed quickly.
History In early January 2026, it was reported that Nikolay Mladenov (former United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process) had been chosen to serve as BoP director-general. Mladenov subsequently held meetings with al-Sheikh and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On 11 January 2026, it was reported that Trump was expected to announce within the week the individuals whom he would appoint to the BoP. In response, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem called for the expedited establishment of the NCAG.
With the commencement of the second phase of the Gaza Peace Agreement on 14 January 2026, it was reported that the United States had sent invitations to several countries to join the board and that it would have its first meeting on the side-lines of the World Economic Forum summit the following week. Trump announced the formation of the board on 15 January 2026 via a post on Truth Social, which said, "It is my Great Honor to announce that THE BOARD OF PEACE has been formed. The Members of the Board will be announced shortly, but I can say with certainty that it is the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place."
On 17 January 2026, Argentine president Javier Milei and Argentine ambassador to the United States Alec Oxenford announced that Trump had formally invited Argentina to join the Board and become a founding member. Milei posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he thanked Trump for the invitation, calling it an "honor" and reaffirming that Argentina "stand[s] with the countries" that "confront terrorism head-on" and "defend life and property".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were also invited by Trump, with Carney confirming his participation. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama posted on Facebook that Albania had been personally invited to join the Board and become a founding member, describing it as major international recognition and a sign of the country's growing international standing.
On 20 January 2026, President Trump referenced the "Board of Peace", citing that "the United Nations never helped [him]" as a reason for its existence and claiming that it "might" replace the UN. On 22 January 2026, Trump hosted a signing ceremony for the founding charter of the BoP on the side-lines of the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos. Leaders and foreign ministers of 19 countries, in addition to the United States, attended the BoP signing ceremony in Davos and signed the founding charter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose not to attend the ceremony, citing his concern over arrest by Swiss authorities, which had stated that they were "obliged to cooperate" with the International Criminal Court arrest warrant regarding his alleged war crimes. On 7 February, it was reported that the first session of the Board of Peace was scheduled for 19 February, and will deal with dismantling Hamas military infrastructures.
During the 19 February 2026 summit, Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco pledged to send troops for an International Stabilization Force consisting of 20,000 soldiers, while Egypt and Jordan agreed to train the police, which are expected to number 12,000. Furthermore, the United States pledged $10 billion for the board's efforts while nine other member states pledged another $7 billion.
Amid escalating Middle East tensions, Indonesia paused its engagement with the Board of Peace, as domestic calls for withdrawal intensified following the US–Israel attacks on Iran.
On 15 May, the Board of Peace issued its first progress report to the UN Security Council. The report's main conclusion was that the lack of progress was due to Hamas' unwillingness to disarm.
On 27 June 2026 The Guardian released a story about a draft resolution of the Board of Peace, which Omar Shakir of DAWN said could potentially lead to them having complete immunity from any prosecution for crimes in Gaza and enable to seize any land or property for their own use without recompense. This he said would "Far from signaling an end to genocide, apartheid and occupation, this document suggests entrenching some of its ugliest signature characteristics. This risks not only complicity, but direct perpetration of grave abuses."
On 30 June 2026, the Board of Peace was reported to have scheduled a pilot scheme of moving Gaza civilians into humanitarian zones protected by a multilateral force. The aim is to leave Hamas with "no people, no land, and no resources". Ahmed al-Tanani of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies said that Hamas is demanding the mediators to provide real guarantees to prevent humanitarian projects turning into a "cover for genocide."
Structure
The charter of the BoP outlines a multi-level structure for the organization, which includes:
Donald Trump, designated as chairman for life. The board proper, mainly comprising national leaders. About sixty were invited by Trump. The Board of Peace Executive Board, with a focus on diplomacy and investment. Seven members were appointed by Trump. The Gaza Executive Board, to direct the NCAG. Its head, Nikolay Mladenov, who was appointed to the board alongside ten others, is titled the High Representative for Gaza.
Chairman Trump is explicitly named in the BoP's charter as its chairman. He is not subject to term limits and holds the sole authority to nominate his designated successor. According to the charter, as the chairman, he is exclusively authorized to invite countries to join the BoP. In that capacity, he also has the exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities of the board. All revisions to the charter, as well as administrative directives issued by the BoP, are subject to his approval. Trump's chairmanship is independent of his presidency of the United States, and he has indicated that he wants to remain chairman for life.
Board of Peace Executive Board The members of the Board of Peace Executive Board were announced on 17 January 2026. They are: Nikolay Mladenov High Representative for Gaza, former United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Marco Rubio United States Secretary of State Steve Witkoff United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Jared Kushner Donald Trump's son-in-law Tony Blair Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Marc Rowan CEO of Apollo Global Management Ajay Banga President of the World Bank Group Robert Gabriel Jr. American political advisor
Gaza Executive Board A Gaza Executive Board supports the High Representative for Gaza and the NCAG. Its members, also announced on 17 January 2026, are: Steve Witkoff United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Jared Kushner Donald Trump's son-in-law Hakan Fidan Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ali al-Thawadi Minister for Strategic Affairs of Qatar Hassan Rashad Director of the General Intelligence Service of Egypt Tony Blair Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Marc Rowan CEO of Apollo Global Management Reem Al Hashimy Minister of State for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates Nikolay Mladenov High Representative for Gaza Yakir Gabay Israeli businessman Sigrid Kaag United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process
Funding By May 2026, the BoP had no funds in its official World Bank account, despite $17 billion in pledges by member states. Donations have gone into a J.P. Morgan account which is not obligated to report its financial position to contributors and board members. $20 million contributed by Morocco were used to fund the office of Nickolay Mladenov and salaries for the committee the BoP formed to govern Gaza. $100 million donated by the United Arab Emirates for the training of a Gaza police force were frozen, and the program was on hold.
Membership status Around 60 countries received invitations from Trump to join the BoP fas founding members. No countries from Sub-Saharan Africa received invitations. Countries wishing to be permanent members of the BoP must pay into a fund controlled by Trump; otherwise, each country serves a three-year term which may be renewed at his discretion.
Members
The following states signed the charter of the BoP. All except Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, Israel, Kuwait and Vietnam signed it at the inaugural meeting on January 22, 2026, and became founding members.
Belarus intended to accept the invitation but their delegation did not receive U.S. visas to attend the inaugural meeting and is therefore not a member:
Other invitees
Observers at the February 19, 2026, meeting The following states and the European Union attended the first meeting of the Board of Peace as observers.
Invitees who did not participate at the January inaugural meeting The following states were invited but did not respond or participate as observers: