INTERNATIONAL
Analyst: Trump's 'Board of Peace' may sideline multilateral institutions
Experts warn US President Donald Trump's life-chaired Board of Peace could sideline Palestinians as global concerns rise over its Gaza role. - REUTERS/Filepic
Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, whose mandate has been broadened by the U.S. President from ending the Gaza conflict to resolving conflicts globally, could be intended to replace existing multilateral institutions the Trump administration is hostile to, an analyst told Reuters on Sunday (January 18).
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There is also a danger that the Board, which is headed by Trump and includes administration officials, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, billionaire Marc Cowen and World Bank President Ajay Banga, could sideline Palestinian interests, Khaled Elgindy of the Quincy Institute in Washington DC said.
Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to Trump’s invitation to join his "Board of Peace", a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the United Nations.
The board would be chaired for life by Trump and would start by addressing the Gaza conflict and then be expanded to deal with other conflicts, according to a copy of the letter and draft charter seen by Reuters.
Member states would be limited to three-year terms unless they pay US$1 billion each to fund the board's activities and earn permanent membership, the letter states.
“It's clear that Gaza might be the beginning, but it isn't the end of the Board of Peace as far as the Trump administration is concerned,” Elgindy, a Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute, said.
“That secondary role of replacing existing multilateral institutions might even be more of a priority than its primary function in Gaza for this administration, since Gaza doesn't really have any real strategic value for Donald Trump,” he added.
Israel and the Palestinian armed 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.
Many rights experts and advocates have said that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory's governance resembles a colonial structure, while Blair's involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq war and the history of British imperialism in the Middle East.
Khaled Elgindy said that the Board’s structure affords little decision-making power to the Palestinian technocratic committee. It is unclear, he said, whether the Trump administration-dominated Board and 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” made up of local stakeholders, will simply defer to the interests of Israel, due to the vast power imbalance between them and the Palestinians.
“Who are they going to listen to? Israel, which holds most of the cards, or the Palestinian technical committee that has Palestinian best interests at heart?” Elgindy asked.
Another concern, Elgindy said, is the fact that the Trump administration itself, which leads the Board of Peace, “has demonstrated a good amount of hostility” to the Palestinians.
Even as invitations to the Board of Peace go out, the Gaza ceasefire that is essential for its work to begin remains extremely fragile.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where more than 450 Palestinians, including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed during the truce.
Israel's assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza's entire population. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry say this amounts to genocide. Israel has said it took action in self-defense after Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in a late 2023 attack.
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AI Brief
- Analysts warn the Board of Peacechaired for life by Trump and including Blair, Marc Cowen and Ajay Bangacould marginalise Palestinian interests.
- Governments are wary of joining the board amid fears it could undermine the United Nations and prioritise US interests over Gazas needs.
- The structure gives Trump dominant control, offers permanent seats for US$1B, and raises concerns that decisions may favor Israel over Palestinians
There is also a danger that the Board, which is headed by Trump and includes administration officials, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, billionaire Marc Cowen and World Bank President Ajay Banga, could sideline Palestinian interests, Khaled Elgindy of the Quincy Institute in Washington DC said.
Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to Trump’s invitation to join his "Board of Peace", a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the United Nations.
The board would be chaired for life by Trump and would start by addressing the Gaza conflict and then be expanded to deal with other conflicts, according to a copy of the letter and draft charter seen by Reuters.
Member states would be limited to three-year terms unless they pay US$1 billion each to fund the board's activities and earn permanent membership, the letter states.
“It's clear that Gaza might be the beginning, but it isn't the end of the Board of Peace as far as the Trump administration is concerned,” Elgindy, a Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute, said.
“That secondary role of replacing existing multilateral institutions might even be more of a priority than its primary function in Gaza for this administration, since Gaza doesn't really have any real strategic value for Donald Trump,” he added.
Israel and the Palestinian armed 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.
Many rights experts and advocates have said that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory's governance resembles a colonial structure, while Blair's involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq war and the history of British imperialism in the Middle East.
Khaled Elgindy said that the Board’s structure affords little decision-making power to the Palestinian technocratic committee. It is unclear, he said, whether the Trump administration-dominated Board and 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” made up of local stakeholders, will simply defer to the interests of Israel, due to the vast power imbalance between them and the Palestinians.
“Who are they going to listen to? Israel, which holds most of the cards, or the Palestinian technical committee that has Palestinian best interests at heart?” Elgindy asked.
Another concern, Elgindy said, is the fact that the Trump administration itself, which leads the Board of Peace, “has demonstrated a good amount of hostility” to the Palestinians.
Even as invitations to the Board of Peace go out, the Gaza ceasefire that is essential for its work to begin remains extremely fragile.
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where more than 450 Palestinians, including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed during the truce.
Israel's assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza's entire population. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry say this amounts to genocide. Israel has said it took action in self-defense after Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in a late 2023 attack.
Your gateway to global news, insights, and stories that matter.