India on Thursday attended the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Board of Peace as an observer country, a week after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was reviewing the United States’ invitation to join the body.
India was represented at the meeting by Namgya C Khampa, Charge Charge d’Affaires at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC.
The Board of the Peace was unveiled last month by US President Donald Trump during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. At the time, Trump said that “everyone wants to be a part” of the initiative, suggesting it could eventually emerge as a platform rivaling the United Nations.
Initially conceived as a mechanism to oversee and monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Board was also tasked with facilitating reconstruction efforts and contributing to governance structures in the territory.
However, US officials have since indicated that its mandate could expand beyond the Gaza conflict to address broader global peace and stability initiatives.
The first formal meeting of the Bord was held at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, drawing participation from officials representing nearly 50 countries.
Of these, 27 countries have formally joined the Board. Member states include Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, among others. The remaining participants, including India and the European Union, attended as observer entities.
India had earlier refrained from commenting on whether it would accept the US invitation and did not participate in the Board’s launch event in Davos. On February 12, the MEA confirmed that the proposal to join the organisation was under consideration.
However, the participation of India’s Charge d’Affaires in Thursday’s meeting signaled New Delhi’s readiness to engage with the Board, even as it stops short of committing to full membership at this stage.
What was the outcome of the meeting?
At the meeting, Trump announced that nine member states, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait have collectively committed $7 billion towards a Gaza relief package. He also said the United States would contribute an additional $10 billion to the Board of Peace, though he did not elaborate on how the funds would be allocated.
Major General Jasper Jeffers, commander of the proposed international security force, stated that Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have pledged to deploy thousands of troops to Gaza. Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan have indicated they will assist by training personnel for the mission.
Amid apprehensions that Trump planned to position the Board as a rival to the United Nations Security Council, the US President said the United States would “work again with the United Nations.”
I think the United Nations has great potential, really great potential. It has not lived up to potential. Someday, I won’t be here. The United Nations is going to be much stronger. The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly,” he said.
Trump further said, “We are going to strengthen the United Nations. We are going to make sure its facilities are good. They need help, and they need help money-wise. We’re going to help them money-wise, and we’re going to make sure the United Nations is viable,”.
