TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Initially, U.S. President Donald Trump intended to use his so-called "Board of Peace", or BoP, to oversee peace and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations approved the plan last November by passing UN Security Council Resolution 2803. At the time, legal experts already warned it was a breach of international law.
Two months on, it increasingly appears that Trump plans to establish his BoP independently of the Middle East conflict. In the founding charter published by the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel on Sunday, the conflict in Gaza was not even mentioned.
What is Trump's 'Board of Peace'?
According to its charter, the body is intended to "promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict" around the world. The document grants its chair extensive powers and names Trump as its founding chair.
The charter explicitly names Donald J. Trump as the founding chairperson — for life. Early termination of the term of office is only possible through voluntary resignation or unanimous dismissal by the member states. Furthermore, each chairperson is to appoint a successor if he or she leaves office, a person who will immediately take over the official duties.
Therefore, this role is highly likely to remain in U.S. hands, independent of Trump's presidency in the U.S., which, according to the U.S. Constitution, ends in three years. Until then, he will also represent the U.S. as a member state.
Who will be its members?
According to the charter, it is solely up to the chair to invite states to become members. Membership is limited to three years, but can be extended by the chair. Only states that contribute more than $1 billion to finance the BoP within the first year of its establishment will remain permanent members.
According to press reports, some 60 countries have so far received an invitation to join. Several NATO countries, including Germany, Turkey, Hungary and Canada, have confirmed receiving an invitation.
The Kremlin stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was considering accepting the invitation. In the Middle East, Egypt and Jordan have confirmed receiving an invitation, as has Pakistan. The presidents of Argentina, Javier Milei, and Paraguay, Santiago Pena, have expressly thanked the BoP for the invitation.
On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates became one of the first countries to formally commit to the BoP, saying it stood ready to "contribute actively to the mission of the Board of Peace, supporting greater cooperation, stability, and prosperity for all."
Have individuals been invited to join the board?
Trump's appointment of individual members, such as his son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga, U.S. billionaire Marc Rowan and other political allies from the U.S., has caused quite a stir.
However, these are reportedly not council memberships, but positions in various subcommittees of the council. According to the charter, only states — represented by their respective heads of state or government — are eligible to be voting members of the BoP.
How will the BoP operate?
The BoP is heavily tailored to the role of the chairperson. Not only is the chair the only person who can invite members to join, but he or she is also the only person who can remove existing members. Other members can veto this decision, but only with a two-thirds majority.
The member states themselves are supposed to compile the agenda and be able to decide on important matters by a simple majority, according to the principle of one state, one vote. This includes, for example, "annual budgets, the establishment of subsidiary entities, the appointment of senior executive officers, and major policy determinations." However, all decisions require the approval of the chair.
Is the BoP a competitor to the UN?
The charter declares in the first paragraph of its preamble that "durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common-sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed."
While the United Nations is not mentioned by name, Trump has repeatedly criticized the UN, describing it as an organization that has failed to take action. The UN was founded in October 1945 at the instigation of then-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The organization currently numbers 193 member states.
For Eliav Lieblich, an international law expert at Tel Aviv University, one thing is certain: "The charter is clearly intended as a challenge to the UN and a sign of mistrust toward this organization," he told the German daily newspaper taz on Monday.
What is the significance of the BoP under international law?
According to the charter, the BoP is to perform "peace-building functions in accordance with international law." However, the basis of international law is the Charter of the United Nations, and the UN resolution in question has only given the BoP a mandate to bring peace to the Middle East conflict between the Palestinians and Israel.
By taking on additional tasks without the corresponding mandates, the BoP would be in direct competition with the United Nations. The extent to which the BoP can achieve this will depend on the approval of its members and their ability to enforce their decisions.
"However, if many countries join, this could indeed become a challenge for the UN," said Lieblich.
Read: Israel's Netanyahu Joins Trump-Initiated Gaza 'Board of Peace'
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