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Trump Proposes a Bypass to the UN Security Council
emactaggart
Mon, 01/19/2026 – 14:10
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/ Multilateral Diplomacy
19 January 2026
2 minutes
Trump Proposes a Bypass to the UN Security Council
Crisis Group expert Daniel Forti discusses the implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed expansion of the “Board of Peace” for the UN
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BlueSky
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Daniel Forti
Head of UN Affairs
https://twitter.com/fortid
Related Tags
United States
Israel/Palestine
U.S. President Donald Trump proposes to make the soon-to-be-established Board of Peace – an international body authorised by the UN Security Council to oversee Gaza’s administration and reconstruction – into a permanent club to deal with a wider range of conflicts. Its members are expected to convene their inaugural meeting on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.A draft of the Board’s charter outlines an international organisation claiming the authority to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict”. The document makes no mention of the UN Charter or the Security Council resolution that authorised the Board’s creation, for a term expiring in November 2027, and opens by disparaging existing peacemaking institutions.Unlike the UN Charter, which authorises the Security Council to make decisions that legally bind all UN member states, the draft Board of Peace text is silent about any such powers. Nevertheless, the Board’s self-appointed role in international peace and security would encroach on the Council’s responsibilities.Trump would serve as the Board’s chair and U.S. representative, overseeing a group of countries that he nominates for three-year terms. At least 60 countries, including the Security Council’s other permanent members, have received an invitation to join. Any member could buy a permanent seat in exchange for a $1 billion investment. An Executive Board, also chosen by Trump, would implement decisions taken by the member states; country-specific Boards would sit below this structure. The White House announced the first members of both the Executive Board and the Gaza-specific configuration on Friday.U.S. officials have told journalists that the new entity is not meant to replace the UN completely. As chair, Trump would wield nearly unchecked veto power throughout the organisation, in effect cutting out the other veto-wielding Security Council members.The Board transposes Trump’s transactional approach to diplomacy onto a formal institution that the U.S. could guide less encumbered by the preferences of states that might challenge it. Countries weighing invitations to join the Board might see it as a way to bolster their influence on the world stage and curry favour with the U.S. president. Many member states, however, see it as a power grab.It is unclear who among prospective members will be willing to ratify the Board’s charter or invest in its operations. Israeli ministers are already questioning the involvement of Qatar and Türkiye in the Board’s oversight of Gaza. Countries may inevitably contest or simply disregard any of the Board’s decisions beyond Gaza if not backed by a separate Security Council resolution.This move also could weaken Trump’s hand at the UN. In the past year, U.S. diplomats secured political and financial concessions from the organisation. But those gains, including some earned through bargaining with China and Russia, rested on the notion that the U.S. holds some residual value in the UN. That now looks like wishful thinking.
Related Tags
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/
Global
10 Conflicts to Watch in 2026
Also available in Español
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What to Look for as the Gaza Peace Plan Comes to the UN Security Council
Netflix this week amended its offer for Warner Bros. Discovery assets amid a Paramount Skydance hostile takeover attempt.
Trump will be meeting with world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland later this week.
Kurdish-led SDF accepts truce but reports continued attacks by government-allied forces, despite the agreement.
Streaming giant says it makes up a relatively low share of US ‘TV time’ in quarterly letter to shareholders
Guy Hochman says he was interrogated for six hours after legal group filed complaint accusing him of war crimesAn Israeli comedian and former combat soldier was detained and interrogated for six hours while traveling to Canada on Monday after a pro-Palestinian legal group filed a complaint against him accusing him of war crimes and “incitement to genocide”.The comedian, Guy Hochman, was detained upon arrival at Toronto Pearson international airport and only released after the intervention of the Israeli consulate, according to the Times of Israel. His detention came after the Hind Rajab Foundation, a Belgium-based group that aims to hold Israeli military personnel accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, filed a 40-page dossier about him with Canadian authorities. The groups Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and the Legal Centre for Palestine also joined the complaint. Continue reading…
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FRANCE 24's Monte Francis takes a look at how Donald Trump has reshaped the White House, and not just in terms of ripping down the East Wing without planning permission to build a ballroom.
Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCEO of energy company behind Eraring coal power plant says extra two years will help with ‘smooth transition’Frank Calabria, the CEO of Origin energy, spoke with RN this morning after an announcement Australia’s largest coal-fired power plant, Eraring in New South Wales, would stay open for an additional two years until 2029.A lot of good progress has been made on the transition, a lot of new infrastructure, a lot of new energy assets behind the meter. This will just enable it [to be a] smoother transition. …We’ve made lots of investments, as you would imagine, in large batteries. We’ve got large wind farms underway, so do many other players in the sector. So we’re all aligned about making progress here. Continue reading…
Auto Stocks Fall as Greenland Tariff Plan Spooks Markets. But These Shares Are Rising.
Trump Proposes a Bypass to the UN Security Council
emactaggart
Mon, 01/19/2026 – 14:10
Latest Updates
Africa
Asia-Pacific
Europe & Central Asia
Latin America & Caribbean
Middle East & North Africa
United States
Gender & Conflict
Future of Conflict
Global Issues
Visual Explainers
My Reading List
Analyst's Notebook
/ Multilateral Diplomacy
19 January 2026
2 minutes
Trump Proposes a Bypass to the UN Security Council
Crisis Group expert Daniel Forti discusses the implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed expansion of the “Board of Peace” for the UN
Share
BlueSky
Save
Daniel Forti
Head of UN Affairs
https://twitter.com/fortid
Related Tags
United States
Israel/Palestine
U.S. President Donald Trump proposes to make the soon-to-be-established Board of Peace – an international body authorised by the UN Security Council to oversee Gaza’s administration and reconstruction – into a permanent club to deal with a wider range of conflicts. Its members are expected to convene their inaugural meeting on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.A draft of the Board’s charter outlines an international organisation claiming the authority to “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict”. The document makes no mention of the UN Charter or the Security Council resolution that authorised the Board’s creation, for a term expiring in November 2027, and opens by disparaging existing peacemaking institutions.Unlike the UN Charter, which authorises the Security Council to make decisions that legally bind all UN member states, the draft Board of Peace text is silent about any such powers. Nevertheless, the Board’s self-appointed role in international peace and security would encroach on the Council’s responsibilities.Trump would serve as the Board’s chair and U.S. representative, overseeing a group of countries that he nominates for three-year terms. At least 60 countries, including the Security Council’s other permanent members, have received an invitation to join. Any member could buy a permanent seat in exchange for a $1 billion investment. An Executive Board, also chosen by Trump, would implement decisions taken by the member states; country-specific Boards would sit below this structure. The White House announced the first members of both the Executive Board and the Gaza-specific configuration on Friday.U.S. officials have told journalists that the new entity is not meant to replace the UN completely. As chair, Trump would wield nearly unchecked veto power throughout the organisation, in effect cutting out the other veto-wielding Security Council members.The Board transposes Trump’s transactional approach to diplomacy onto a formal institution that the U.S. could guide less encumbered by the preferences of states that might challenge it. Countries weighing invitations to join the Board might see it as a way to bolster their influence on the world stage and curry favour with the U.S. president. Many member states, however, see it as a power grab.It is unclear who among prospective members will be willing to ratify the Board’s charter or invest in its operations. Israeli ministers are already questioning the involvement of Qatar and Türkiye in the Board’s oversight of Gaza. Countries may inevitably contest or simply disregard any of the Board’s decisions beyond Gaza if not backed by a separate Security Council resolution.This move also could weaken Trump’s hand at the UN. In the past year, U.S. diplomats secured political and financial concessions from the organisation. But those gains, including some earned through bargaining with China and Russia, rested on the notion that the U.S. holds some residual value in the UN. That now looks like wishful thinking.
Related Tags
More for you
Commentary
/
Global
10 Conflicts to Watch in 2026
Also available in Español
Q&A
/
Middle East & North Africa
What to Look for as the Gaza Peace Plan Comes to the UN Security Council