NEWSDAILYBIGERIA: U.S. President Donald Trump has on Thursday launched his Board of Peace, at Davos, Switzerland, attracting World Leaders and global concerns.

The Trump’s peace initiative is initially designed to cement Gaza’s rocky ceasefire but now expected to take a wider role, a concern that is worrying to other global powers, although he said, it would work with the United Nations.

“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,” Trump said, adding that the U.N. had great potential that had not been fully utilised.

Trump, who chaired the board, invited dozens of other world leaders to join, saying he wants it to address challenges beyond the stuttering Gaza ceasefire, stirring misgivings that it could undermine the U.N.’s role as the main platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.

While regional Middle East powers including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as major emerging nations such as Indonesia, have joined the board, global powers and traditional Western U.S. allies have been more cautious.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the board’s focus would be on making sure the plan for peace in Gaza was fulfilled but that it could also “serve as an example of what’s possible in other parts of the world”.

• Highlights of the Board

• Trump sees Board of Peace as going beyond Gaza to address global challenges
• Denies board is designed as replacement for United Nations
• Some major US allies balk at joining, citing doubts about broadened mandate
• 35 countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Argentina, Indonesia have committed; Russia considering

Credit: Reuters