Trump wants nations to pay $1bn to join Gaza 'Board of Peace': report
US President Donald Trump wants nations to pay $1bn to stay on his so-called "Board of Peace", Bloomberg has reported.
A draft charter for the group, seen by Bloomberg, establishes Trump as its inaugural chairman, who would have a veto over membership.
The document stipulates that states' membership will be limited to three years, unless they “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", guaranteeing them permanent membership.
The charter opens by stressing the need for "a more nimble and effective international peace-building body", adding that lasting peace requires "the courage to depart from ... institutions that have too often failed".
The language has prompted concerns that Trump is seeking to build a rival to the United Nations.
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The document also 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".
Trump has already invited several world leaders to join his Board of Peace for Gaza, which will oversee the reconstruction and temporary governance of the war-torn enclave.
On Saturday, leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada said they had received invitations to join the board. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters that they were "considering the matter", while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had accepted the offer in principle, adding that the details of the agreement are being "worked through".
A spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had been asked to become a "founding member" of the board. Argentine President Javier Milei wrote on X that it would be an "honour" to participate in the initiative.
On Sunday, Jordan's foreign ministry announced that King Abdullah had also received an invitation to join, and that it was currently reviewing related documents within the country's internal legal procedures.
Also on Sunday, Pakistan's ministry of foreign affairs confirmed the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also received an invitation. In a statement, the ministry said that Pakistan "will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions".
People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that several European nations have also received invitations.
AFP reported that invites were also extended to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, Italy's Georgia Meloni, and Romanian President Nicusor Dan.
According to Bloomberg, the draft charter "seems to suggest that Trump himself would control the money" raised from membership fees. People who spoke to the news site on condition of anonymity said this would be considered unacceptable to most countries that could potentially have joined the board.
The sources added that several states strongly oppose the draft charter.
A US official who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity said that money raised from membership fees would help the Board of Peace execute its mandate in Gaza.
When asked about the draft charter, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he "believes member states are free to associate in different groups", adding that the UN "will continue with its mandated work".
Blair controversy
On Friday, Trump named former UK prime minister Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as members of his Board of Peace.
The seven-strong board will also include special envoy Steve Witkoff, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Aryeh Lightstone, who was senior adviser to US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman during Trump's first term, and Josh Gruenbaum, a current senior adviser at the White House, have been named as senior advisers to oversee "day-to-day strategy and operations", with Bulgarian former UN Middle East peace coordinator Nicholay Mladenov serving as the high representative of Gaza.
Blair's appointment is likely to prove contentious in the region due to his role in the 2003 US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.
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