President Trump’s new “Board of Peace,” which he says intends to resolve global conflicts, is scheduled to meet in Washington in the coming weeks, according to a U.S. official and a Board of Peace official.
The meeting is planned for Feb. 19, according to an invitation letter that was shared with The New York Times, the details of which were confirmed by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.
The Board of Peace, as envisioned in a charter signed last month, has divided several U.S. allies, including France and several other European nations that declined to join at this time.
Critics have called it the latest example of Mr. Trump’s efforts to dismantle the post-World War II international system, and analysts say he is trying to create a rival to the United Nations that puts him in charge. As chairman, he would have veto power over some of the body’s decisions.
The original idea for the board was to focus on the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza, but its remit has since broadened.
One of the primary objectives of the upcoming summit is to raise funds for reconstruction, according to two officials and one other Board of Peace official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning details.
The Board of Peace met for the first time in Davos, Switzerland, last month, as member states signed its founding charter.
The notion of establishing the board was first set out in Mr. Trump’s 20-point plan, announced last September, for ending the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
That plan helped pave the way for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, which was negotiated by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United States last fall.
The board’s creation initially focused on Gaza and was backed by the U.N. Security Council in a U.S.-drafted resolution in November. But the charter envisions a broader role for the organization, saying the board would “secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” not just Gaza.
It also called for “a more nimble and effective international peace-building body,” a seeming reference to the U.N.
The plans for the meeting may suggest that the Trump administration is pushing ahead with its efforts to rebuild Gaza, despite recent outbreaks of violence that have tested the cease-fire in the territory.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, who is a member of the Board of Peace, is the first head of state to publicly confirm his attendance.
“Two weeks from now we will meet again in Washington,” he told his supporters at a campaign event on Saturday, referring to seeing Mr. Trump, “because the Board of Peace, the peace body, will hold its inaugural meeting.”
Countries must contribute $1 billion to the Board of Peace to become permanent members, according to the organization’s charter.
More than 20 countries have joined so far, including Argentina, Hungary, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement on Saturday that he will meet Mr. Trump this Wednesday in Washington “to discuss negotiations with Iran.”
Mr. Netanyahu, who accepted Mr. Trump’s invitation to serve on the board, did not participate in the organization’s signing ceremony in Davos last month.
