India was not represented as US President Donald Trump on Thursday launched his proposed Board of Peace, a new body originally pitched as a mechanism to work towards peace in Gaza but now envisioned with a far broader, open-ended global mandate. The absence of India, alongside other major powers, has fuelled questions about the board’s credibility and its potential to sideline existing international institutions such as the United Nations.
The launch took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Notably, no permanent member of the UN Security Council other than the United States has joined the board so far, nor has any G7 country apart from the US. Pakistan was among 19 countries represented at the ceremony.
India Weighs Options
As he presided over the signing ceremony, Trump once again highlighted his claim of having ended “eight wars in nine months”, including the brief India-Pakistan conflict last May. With Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif present, Trump said Sharif had praised him for saving millions of lives by stopping the escalation.
India was among around 60 countries that received invitations last week to join the Board of Peace. People familiar with the matter confirmed to Hindustan Times that no Indian officials attended the Davos ceremony and said New Delhi has yet to make a decision on whether to participate.
India has previously rejected Trump’s assertion that he played a role in halting hostilities with Pakistan, maintaining that the fighting ended after four days when military officials from both sides reached an understanding.
Sweeping Mandate Sparks Fears
The board’s official charter makes no reference to Gaza, despite it being cited as the initial focus. Instead, it outlines an expansive mandate to promote stability and secure enduring peace in conflict-affected regions, prompting concerns that it could challenge or undermine established global governance and conflict-resolution mechanisms.
Trump himself suggested the body’s role could extend far beyond Gaza. “I think we can spread out to other things as we succeed with Gaza,” he said. “Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do.”
While Trump said the Board of Peace could work alongside the UN, he emphasised that the world body had no role in the conflicts he claimed to have stopped, including between India and Pakistan.
Documents launching the board were signed by leaders of 11 countries, including Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay and Uzbekistan, along with senior officials from Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE and Mongolia.
People familiar with India’s internal deliberations said New Delhi was closely watching the positions of key partners such as France and Russia. There were also concerns about Trump remaining chairman of the board indefinitely and the broader implications for the UN system.
Pakistan’s participation has also raised eyebrows in some quarters. Alongside Sharif, the ceremony was attended by Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, whom the prime minister pointed out to Trump during the event.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a member of both the executive board and the Gaza executive board of the new body, outlined a development plan for Gaza but did not refer to a pathway towards a Palestinian state. The Gaza executive board forms part of the second phase of a U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and Hamas. The first phase, a ceasefire finalised last October, has been marred by continued violence, while the next phase faces contentious issues including the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
India is expected to engage with key West Asian partners on the Gaza peace process when it hosts a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in New Delhi on January 30-31. Preparations for the meeting were reviewed on Thursday by Neena Malhotra, secretary (South) in the external affairs ministry, during talks with Arab League envoys. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to visit Israel in February, a trip likely to include consultations on the evolving regional situation.
