Everyone is talking about the new “Board of Peace” that US President Donald Trump envisages will oversee Gaza’s postwar transition.
Yet reports of a leaked charter say the body could aim far beyond the Middle East, prompting claims and speculation online about how it would align with the United Nations, and whether it holds any independent legal authority.
The Cube, Euronews’ fact-checking team, has broken down what can be confirmed so far and exactly what power, if any, it would hold.
What has the White House announced?
On 16 January, the White House confirmed the creation of a “Board of Peace” as part of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan.
It announced the formation of an executive board tasked with implementing the project, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga and business executive Marc Rowan.
It also includes Gaza-specific structures, including a Gaza executive board and a stabilisation force that will aid with security and reconstruction in a transition period.
According to the White House, the “Board of Peace” will coordinate funding, reconstruction and stabilisation efforts in Gaza.
What does the leaked charter say?
A document published by the Times of Israel, that was reportedly attached to invitation letters sent to world leaders, describes the “Board of Peace” as an “international organisation” that seeks to promote stability and peace in “areas affected or threatened by conflict”.
On membership, the charter states that each member is limited to a term of “no more than three years”. This limit, it says, does not apply to member states that contribute more than $1 billion (€854 million) in “cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force”. It does not explicitly mention Gaza.
According to Trump, the board will embark on a “bold new approach to resolving global conflicts”. Invitation letters sent by Trump to Argentinian President Javier Milei and Paraguay’s leader Santiago Peña also indicate that the board may not limit its work to the Gaza Strip.
A senior official told Associated Press that the Board’s expanded role remains “aspirational” but added that Trump’s inner circle believes it is possible, citing frustration with the world’s other global security and peacekeeping body, the United Nations.
A separate official told the agency that the reported draft as of Monday was not finalised and may undergo revisions.
What has the UN actually approved?
In November 2025, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2803, which addresses the “Board of Peace”.
In it, it endorses Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict, including the establishment of the “Board of Peace” as a transitional administration for the Gaza Strip.
The resolution authorises the Board to, among other things, coordinate Gaza’s reconstruction, oversee a transitional administration and coordinate humanitarian aid delivery. It also authorises the creation of an International Stabilisation Force operating under the board’s guidance.
It says its mandate is limited only to Gaza and extends until 31 December 2027, and that it must submit progress reports to the UN Security Council every six months.
So, how much power does the ‘Board of Peace’ actually have?
Based on available reports, the “Board of Peace” currently only has one legally recognised mandate: to support Gaza’s postwar transition under the framework set out by the UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
This mandate is temporary and geographically limited to Gaza.
While Trump’s leaked charter outlines ambitions for a broader global peace organisation, legal experts say they would not automatically grant the Board independent authority.
According to Aurel Sari, public international law professor at the University of Exeter, whilst states are free to create new international organisations, these must “respect existing international law and legal commitments,” such as the UN.
He also highlighted that, under the leaked charter, decision-making power is concentrated in the hands of the chair, Donald Trump, who would have veto authority over most Board decisions — a level of centralised control that is unprecedented in international institutions.
The charter also says that Trump’s board only needs three states to join to become active.
“This is a remarkably small number,” Sari told The Cube. “It raises the question whether such a small number of states can create an international organisation with international legal personality and endow it with extensive immunities and privileges that exempt it from legal accountability in domestic courts.”
Public international law Professor Marko Milanović at the University of Reading described the expanded “Board of Peace” as “a very unusual entity”.
Milanović told The Cube that “as a legal matter, the board would have no powers that do not emanate from state consent and any Security Council mandate”.
Under UN rules, Security Council obligations would legally override any conflicting international agreements.
What about political power?
While legal experts question the board’s formal authority, analysts say its political impact could be significant.
Henrique Burnay, a consultant on European affairs, told The Cube that the leaked charter reflects a broader shift away from multilateral institutions, which could be “devastating”.
He added that any influence would depend on who joined the board and how it operated in practice.
Richard Gowan, programme director at conflict resolution non-profit International Crisis Group, told The Cube that while the board could become a multilateral agreement if states signed its charter, interpreting the UN’s original Gaza mandate as approval for a global peace body would be “unprecedented”.
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