In an effort to maintain a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas, US President Donald Trump, on Thursday (January 22) inaugurated his Board of Peace (BoP) and insisted that "everybody wants to be a part" of the body that has the potential to become a competitor to the United Nations. He, however, noted that some of the countries that are allied with the US have chosen not to participate.
While India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the several global leaders invited to join the board by Trump, India was not present at the ceremony. The signing ceremony was attended by Pakistan's PM Shahbaz Sharif.
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Major Western allies decided not to attend the ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Some expressed worries about the chance that the group, which Trump intends to lead himself, might take the place of the United Nations.
Trump, who has mocked the UN for "empty words" that "don’t solve war", said on Thursday that the two bodies will work together. This comes after he suggested earlier in the week that the board "might" take its place.
According to an NDTV report, a White House official mentioned that around 30 countries were expected to join the board. However, no details were given. About 50 countries had been invited.
Who is not part of the Board of Peace?
The UK, France, Norway, Sweden and Slovenia are among the countries that have said they will not join the body right away.
According to a report by NBC News, French President Emmanuel Macron's office stated that the board's charter goes beyond just the situation in Gaza. It raises serious questions about the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be questioned.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned worries about Russian President Vladimir Putin's potential involvement.
Yvette was quoted as saying by NBC News, "We won't be one of the signatories today because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues. We also have concerns about President Putin being part of something that discusses peace when we are still not seeing any signs from him that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine."
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Who is joining?
More than 20 countries have stated they will join the board. These countries include Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
It is not clear if any of them have agreed to donate $1 billion for permanent membership.
Countries hesitant to be part of BoP
As per an Aljazeera report, several countries, including India, Japan and Thailand, have also been invited but have yet to make a decision. US allies like the UK, Germany and Italy have not said whether they will join. China and Russia also have not confirmed participation.
