Leaders from several countries received a letter over the weekend inviting them to join a so-called U.S.-led "Board of Peace" initiative that would initially aim to end conflict in Gaza but then be expanded to tackle conflicts elsewhere, diplomats said, Reuters reports.
Egypt is reviewing the invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join the board, the foreign minister said on Saturday (January 17), as Turkey's presidency also said President Tayyip Erdogan had received an invitation.
Jordan's foreign ministry said on Sunday (January 18) that King Abdullah received an invitation to join the board, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama shared on social media his invitation letter from Trump.
Only Hungary, whose leader is a close Trump ally, gave an unequivocal acceptance in response to the invitations, which have been addressed to some 60 nations, according to diplomats.
Other governments appeared reluctant to make public statements, leaving officials to express concerns anonymously about the impact on the work of the U.N..
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 $1 billion each to fund the board's activities and earn permanent membership, the letter states.
The Board of Peace's mandate was only authorized by the United Nations Security Council through 2027 and was solely focused on the Gaza conflict.
The invitation letter included a "charter", stoking concerns among some European governments that it could undermine the work of the United Nations, which Trump has accused of not supporting his efforts to end conflicts around the world.
In what appeared to be directed at the United Nations, the document added that there was a "need for a more nimble and effective international peace-building body".
The White House on Friday (January 16) announced some members of this board, which would outlive its role supervising the temporary governance of Gaza, under a fragile ceasefire since October.
The names include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan his White House unveiled in October.
