The Media Line: Key World Leaders Decline Invitations Ahead of Board of Peace’s Davos Ceremony  

Key World Leaders Decline Invitations Ahead of Board of Peace’s Davos Ceremony  

By The Media Line Staff  

The charter for President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace drew a mixed international response after it was attached to invitations sent Friday to dozens of world leaders. Multiple governments confirmed receipt while a number of key US allies declined to join the board and will not attend the Board of Peace signing ceremony scheduled for Thursday in Davos. \  

Countries that indicated they will participate include: Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Argentina, Morocco and Belarus, among others, according to Khaosod.   

The Board of Peace charter, obtained earlier this week by the Times of Israel, portrays the board as an alternative venue for global conflict resolution and takes aim at established multilateral bodies, saying members should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed,” language seen to criticize the United Nations.    

A vote by the UN Security Council in November gave the Trump-led panel a two-year mandate to oversee Gaza’s postwar management.   

Several key allies reacted coolly after the charter outlined conditions for ongoing membership, including a requirement that states pay $1 billion to secure a permanent seat after an initial three-year term. A Canadian government source said Ottawa has not been asked to pay and would not do so, even after Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated he received an invitation.   

France publicly rejected the initiative. During a debate with French lawmakers on Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, “At this stage, France cannot accept,” arguing the charter goes beyond the UN-endorsed scope of rebuilding and administering postwar Gaza. He said the document is “incompatible with France’s international commitments and in particular its membership in the United Nations, which obviously cannot be called into question under any circumstances.”   

President Donald Trump responded with a tariff threat aimed at pressuring French President Emmanuel Macron. “I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” Trump said. When asked about Macron’s refusal, Trump added, “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon.”   

The US is planning to hold a signing ceremony for the Board of Peace on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in what Washington sees as a way to jumpstart phase two of Trump’s Gaza peace plan while formalizing the new body as a hub for dispute resolution.   

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is slated to attend, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not. Netanyahu confirmed receiving an invitation on Monday but criticized Washington’s decision to include senior representatives from Turkey and Qatar on the board’s Gaza operational arm, known as the Gaza Executive Board.   

In Poland, President Karol Nawrocki has reportedly voiced concern about the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote that joining the board would require parliamentary approval, warning that “we will not let anyone play us.”  

Separately, an Israeli news site reported Monday that a small group of senior ministers decided against reopening the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, bucking US demands tied to Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war. Israel has argued Rafah should not reopen in both directions until Hamas agrees to disarm and returns the body of the final Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili.