Switzerland: Trump Woos Leaders To Join “Board of Peace”

United States President, Donald Trump, has invited dozens of world leaders to join his Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, but diplomats say it could harm the work of the United Nations. The board originally conceived as a limited body tasked to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, which has been decimated by Israel’s two-year war, has expanded to tackle conflicts the world over, while the charter draft sent along with the invitations to join, does not even reference Gaza. About 35 of the 50 invited nations were expected to attend a signing ceremony yesterday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, according to a US senior administration official. The United Nations Security Council backed the plan in November giving it international legitimacy with a mandate for the board to oversee the demilitarization and rebuilding of Gaza. The charter draft, obtained by CNN, describes the Board of Peace as an “international organization” promoting stability, peace and governance “in areas affected or threatened by conflict.” Hardly did UN officials know that the second phase of the US-brokered 20- point Gaza ceasefire plan in September proposed by President Trump was something else. Trump will serve as indefinite chairman of the board, possibly holding the post beyond his second term as president, according to the charter. The “Board of Peace” will sit above a “founding Executive Board” that includes Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Trump has announ...