Donald Trump has dubbed his proposed “Board of Peace”—the body responsible for overseeing the transition and reconstruction of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip—as “the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place.” But that prestige clearly comes with a steep price tag.
Nations must contribute at least $1 billion to secure a permanent seat on the board, according to a draft charter, while other members will serve three-year terms. [Missing source] first reported on the high fee, and [Missing source] posted a copy of the draft charter text.
“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman. The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force,” the draft reportedly states.
It remains unclear exactly how these contributions will be used. [Missing source] reported, citing an anonymous senior European official, that European leaders are in discussions about Trump’s ambitions for the board—goals that appear broader than just resolving the Gaza conflict. The official also noted that despite Europe’s commitments to the Strip, there is little willingness to provide significant funding to an organization advancing a Trump-led global order, amid speculation that the Board of Peace is being designed as an alternative to [Missing entity], which the U.S. under Trump has grown increasingly hostile toward.
Bloomberg further reported, using unnamed sources, that most potential member countries find it unacceptable that the draft implies Trump—who would serve as the board’s inaugural chair—would manage its funds.
To address claims about the fee, the White House’s [Missing official] on X stated that the requirement “simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity.” An anonymous U.S. official also told Bloomberg that all funds raised by the board will be used to fulfill its mandate of rebuilding Gaza.
Invitations to join Trump’s board were sent to several countries over the weekend, including [Missing country 1], [Missing country 2], [Missing country 3], and [Missing country 4]. Some of them—particularly Trump’s allies—swiftly accepted the invite: [Missing country] President Javier Milei called it an “honor” as he posted Trump’s invitation letter on social media, as did [Missing country].
Others, however, were more cautious. A British newspaper [Missing publication] reported that U.K. ministers are concerned about where funds would go and the legal framework governing the board’s operations. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney [Missing verb] that Trump had approached him about the board weeks earlier but said: “With respect to the specifics of the ‘Board of Peace’, we haven’t gone through all the details of the structure, how it’s going to work, what financing is for, etc. … And so we will work through those in the coming days.”
On Friday, the White House [Missing verb] the board’s founding members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. A spokesperson for Blair [Missing verb] that he wasn’t involved in determining board membership and that questions about the high fee should be directed to the Trump Administration.
The Trump Administration [Missing verb] that the board “will set the framework and handle the funding for the redevelopment of Gaza,” but a review of the draft charter text makes no explicit mention of Gaza. The draft describes the board as “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
The U.N. Security Council in November approved backing Trump’s proposed board to set the framework and coordinate funding for Gaza’s redevelopment, though it only authorized the board’s mandate until 2027.
Trump’s plans for the Board of Peace also coincide with his threats to [Missing action] [Missing country]—one of several nations the U.S. [Missing verb] over their show of support for Greenland—stating that after [Missing event], he “no longer feel[s] an obligation to think purely of Peace.”