US President Donald Trump signed a charter establishing the Peace Council on Thursday (January 22) on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump presented the brand new body as a world instrument for resolving global conflicts, positioning it as a part of a peace architecture that he believed could be more practical than existing multilateral mechanisms.
Only a small variety of world leaders attended the signing ceremony on account of the absence of many key Western allies who selected to not attend.
Trump said the Peace Council would work along side the United Nations, despite the fact that he previously suggested it “could replace” the UN.
In his remarks, he again criticized the UN as a forum for “empty words” that “don’t solve the war,” while asserting that the 2 institutions, in the event that they work together, “might be something very, very special for the world.”
Mandate and structure of the Peace Council
The idea of a Peace Council initially emerged as a part of Trump’s post-conflict plan for the Gaza Strip. However, in keeping with the official statute, the institution’s mandate has since been significantly expanded.
The document defines the Peace Council as a brand new international organization whose purpose is to “promote stability, restore reliable and lawful government, and secure[ing] lasting peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
The charter designates Trump as chairman of the board, stipulating that he can only get replaced by voluntary resignation or disability, which can be determined by a unanimous vote of the Executive Council.
Member states are to serve for up to 3 years, aside from countries which have contributed greater than $1 billion.
The White House stressed that such contributions usually are not mandatory fees, but moderately a chance for countries to achieve everlasting membership by demonstrating a “deep commitment to peace, security and prosperity.”
The White House also revealed that the founding Executive Council will include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and World Bank President Ajay Banga.
Several subcommittees have already been established, including one directly coping with the reconstruction of Gaza.
Countries joining and leaving
More than 20 countries have expressed their willingness to affix the Peace Council. The list includes Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Russia and China have confirmed that they’ve received invitations, but haven’t yet confirmed their participation.
In turn, several traditional US allies have decided to distance themselves from this initiative. France, the UK, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Spain are among the many countries which have said they are going to not join at this stage.
Canada was even explicitly excluded after Trump withdrew the invitation following a verbal dispute with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that Canada’s invitation was withdrawn at any time by “essentially the most prestigious Leadership Council ever convened.”
Israel expressed support for the Peace Council, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not present in Davos. Meanwhile, several European countries have expressed concerns concerning the potential overlap between the role of the United Nations and the international legal implications of the brand new body.
International criticism and skepticism
The creation of the Peace Council sparked skepticism amongst diplomats and analysts. Key criticisms deal with its broad mandate, centralized leadership structure and the likelihood that it could serve as a substitute – and even rival – to the United Nations.
Several European governments argued that the initiative raised serious questions on global governance and respect for the post-World War II multilateral system.
In addition, the Peace Council’s statute grants its president significant powers, including the proper to veto certain decisions and the flexibility to appoint a successor.
A request for financial contributions of as much as $1 billion in exchange for everlasting membership was also explored, despite assurances from the White House that such contributions were voluntary.
While Trump described the Peace Council as a body that “has the potential to change into probably the most consequential bodies ever created,” the divided global response suggests its future will depend largely on how willing countries are to simply accept its role and structure within the established landscape of international diplomacy.
