KEY POINTS
- Trump launched the “Board of Peace” in Davos.
- Leaders and senior officials from 19 countries signed the board’s charter.
- Pakistan PM Sharif along with other leaders attended the signing ceremony.
- Board is chaired by Trump and is focused on securing lasting peace in Gaza.
- Trump said board would work in conjunction with UN to resolve global conflicts.
- US officials said the immediate priority was making the Gaza ceasefire durable.
DAVOS, Switzerland: US President Donald Trump on Thursday launched an international “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, signing its founding charter alongside leaders and senior officials from 19 countries.
The new body, chaired by Trump, is being billed as a platform to help resolve global conflicts, starting with efforts to secure a lasting peace in Gaza.
“Congratulations President Trump, the charter is now in full force, and the board of peace is now an official international organisation,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the signing ceremony.
Leaders and senior officials from 19 countries gathered on stage with Trump to put their names to the founding charter of the “Board of Peace”.
Leaders and senior officials from Pakistan, Bahrain, Morocco, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Argentina, Hungary, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Mongolia signed the document with Trump.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joined other world leaders at the signing ceremony. PM Sharif is leading a Pakistani delegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Pakistan was among the eight Muslim states that on Wednesday announced their “shared decision” to be part of the body. The eight Muslim countries included Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of these countries announced that each country would sign the joining documents according to its respective relevant legal and other necessary procedures, including Egypt, Pakistan, and the UAE, that have already announced their decisions to join.
Pakistan had expressed the hope that with the creation of this framework, concrete steps would be taken towards the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, as well as reconstruction of Gaza.
“Pakistan also hopes that these efforts will lead to the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine, through a credible, time-bound political process, consistent with international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions, resulting in the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office earlier said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over the war in Gaza, has said he will join but was not at the ceremony.
“Congratulations President Trump, the charter is now in full force, and the Board of Peace is now an official international organisation,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the signing ceremony held in Davos, Switzerland.
Every one of them are friends of mine. I like every single one of them,” Trump said about the signatories.
“Just about every country wants to be a part of it. We sent out the letters a couple of days ago and countries that are here just happened to be in Davos,” he said.
‘Opposite of peace has no chance’
The US president declared, “Everybody in this room is a star. There’s a reason that you’re here. When you use that inspired genius for peace, the opposite of peace has no chance.”
Referring to the signatories at the outset of his speech, Trump said, “Each and every one of you, we are truly honoured by your presence today. Leaders of countries, in most cases, very popular leaders; in some cases, not so popular.”
Among those seated in the audience was PM Sharif, after Pakistan, on Wednesday, along with seven other Muslim countries, accepted Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace.
After an address by the US president, the heads of various countries took turns to sign the board’s charter at a meeting in Davos, Switzerland. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also spoke on the occasion.
During his speech, the US president said, “We’re committed to ensuring Gaza is demilitarised, properly governed and beautifully rebuilt,” he affirmed, adding that “we can spread out to other things as we succeed with Gaza”.
“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 UN,” the US president said, adding that the combination of the Board of Peace and the United Nations could be “very, very unique for the world”.
‘Safer future for the world’
Trump recalled that under Phase 1 of the ceasefire plan, “we have painstakingly […] maintained the Gaza ceasefire, delivered record levels of humanitarian aid”.
The US president asserted: “The first steps toward a brighter day for the Middle East and a much safer future for the world are unfolding before your very eyes.
“Together we are in a position to have an incredible chance — I don’t even call it a chance, it’s gonna happen — to end decades of suffering, stop generations of hatred and bloodshed and forge a beautiful, everlasting and glorious peace for that region, and for the whole region of the world, because I’m calling the world a region.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the ceremony that the board’s focus was “first and foremost on making sure that this peace deal in Gaza becomes enduring.”
More countries are expected to join as internal processes conclude, reflecting growing global confidence in the initiative’s success, Rubio said.
Trump — who is the chairman of the Board of Peace — said they were “in most cases very popular leaders, some cases not so popular. That’s the way it goes in life.”
Resolving international conflicts
Originally meant to oversee peace in Gaza after the war between Israel and Hamas, the board’s charter envisions a wider role in resolving international conflicts.
On Tuesday, Trump said the organisation would work “in conjunction” with the UN.
Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to join the Board of Peace, while the Russian leader said he was still studying the invite.
The launch of the board comes against the backdrop of Trump’s frustration at having failed to win the Nobel Peace Prize, despite his claim to have ended eight conflicts.
Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos after the “Board of Peace” ceremony to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine — the major peace deal that continues to elude him.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is due to travel to Moscow to meet Putin later Thursday, said in Davos that talks to end the war had made a “lot of progress” and were down to one issue.
“I think we’ve got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solvable,” said Witkoff, without saying what the issue was.
Witkoff added that he and the US leader’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would not stay in Moscow overnight but fly straight to Abu Dhabi for “military to military” talks.
Pakistan at Board of Peace – why it matters?
Pakistan joined the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos on the invitation of President Trump, with the clear objective of supporting peace in Palestine.
The initiative focuses on achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and rebuilding Palestine in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
The reconstruction plan includes rebuilding homes, hospitals, schools, water and electricity systems, reviving livelihoods, and restoring dignity to Palestinian life.
Pakistan joined alongside Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Indonesia, Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina, Hungary and the US. The presence of multiple Muslim-majority countries ensures Palestinian rights, statehood and self-determination remain central, according to analysts.
Pakistan’s position remains unchanged, support for an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, and rejection of occupation and collective punishment, a senior analyst said.
In a meeting held on Wednesday, the Palestinian Prime Minister personally thanked Prime Minister Sharif for Pakistan’s unwavering and long-standing support for peace in Gaza, its firm stance against the ongoing genocide, and its consistent advocacy for Palestinian rights at international forums.
Pakistan’s role and way forward
During the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Sharif exchanged warm pleasantries with President Trump.
The US President pointed towards Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and gave him a thumbs up. The gesture reflected international recognition of Pakistan’s leadership, institutions and global standing.
Pakistan participated in the Board of Peace to shape outcomes, not to observe from the sidelines, analysts said.
Pakistan maintains strategic autonomy, rejects bloc politics, and engages all major powers without compromising principles. Joining the Board of Peace does not mean automatic military involvement or participation in any stabilisation force, analysts said.
Any future security role would only be considered under a UN mandate and in line with national interest and the wishes of the Palestinian people. Pakistan chose presence over silence to ensure that Gaza’s future is discussed with Muslim world representation and respect for international law.
