Davos, January 22, 2026 – The Europe Today: U.S. President Donald Trump has signed the founding charter of his proposed Board of Peace alongside leaders from 18 countries during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to media reports. The initiative has been presented as a body that would work in parallel with the United Nations on conflict resolution, including efforts related to the Middle East.
The signing ceremony took place during President Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum. The Board of Peace was announced last year as part of a U.S.-backed Israel-Hamas ceasefire framework and has been described by Washington as a mechanism to support post-conflict governance and reconstruction in Gaza.
Despite the number of signatories cited by the White House, the ceremony was marked by the absence of leaders from Western European countries. Several European governments have voiced reservations about the initiative, pointing to legal procedures and institutional concerns. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that joining such an organization would require parliamentary approval and closer alignment with a United Nations mandate.
Belgium publicly denied signing the charter after initially appearing on a White House list of participants. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said Brussels favors a coordinated European approach and has reservations about the proposal. The United Kingdom has also raised concerns, particularly over the potential involvement of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has reportedly been invited but is still considering participation.
President Trump had earlier drawn attention by suggesting the Board of Peace could replace the United Nations, though he later clarified that it has strong potential to work alongside the UN. He said the board would cooperate with existing international institutions, noting that the United Nations adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution in November establishing the Board of Peace.
Questions have also emerged regarding the draft charter, which reportedly offers three-year membership terms to participating states, while granting permanent membership to countries contributing $1 billion in cash within the first year.
Addressing the situation in Gaza, President Trump said the Israel-Hamas war was nearing an end and called on Hamas to disarm, warning of consequences if it failed to do so. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Board of Peace as a work in progress, adding that additional countries could join as they complete their internal approval processes.
According to the White House, countries listed as participants alongside the United States include Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.
