Global Conflicts: Trump Sets $1bn Fee for Permanent Seats on Proposed ‘Board of Peace’
The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed a $1 billion payment for countries seeking a permanent seat on a newly conceived international body dubbed the “Board of Peace,” according to a draft charter reviewed by AFP on Monday.
The White House has reportedly invited several world leaders to join the board, which would be chaired by Trump himself. Among those approached are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Under the draft charter, member states—represented by their heads of state—would ordinarily serve a three-year term. However, countries that contribute more than $1 billion in cash within the first year of the board’s establishment would be exempt from the term limit and could retain their membership beyond the initial period.
“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman,” the document states.
“The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”
Originally conceived to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, the board’s mandate appears broader in scope, with no explicit geographical limitation outlined in the charter.
Read Also:
The White House said the structure would include a main board, a Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with governing the devastated Gaza Strip, and an “executive board” expected to play an advisory role.
According to the charter, the Board of Peace is intended to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
The document also takes a critical tone toward existing international institutions, suggesting the board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed”—a reference widely seen as aimed at bodies such as the United Nations.
Trump has been an outspoken critic of the UN and recently announced plans for the United States to withdraw from 66 international organisations and treaties, many of them affiliated with the global body.
Membership of the proposed board would be limited to states invited by the chairman. The charter further grants Trump the authority to remove member states, subject to a two-thirds veto by existing members, and to name a successor should he step down as chairman.
The initiative reportedly began to take formal shape over the weekend, when leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, and Canada were invited to participate.
Trump also named several high-profile individuals as members, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, senior negotiator Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Israel has raised objections to the composition of a proposed “Gaza executive board” under the framework, which includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi.
AFP
