Pakistan among the 19 countries that sign the letter; Shehbaz signs a document along with other leaders; United Kingdom and France skip the ceremony
US President Donald Trump shares a lighter moment with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the inauguration of the “Peace Board” on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Photo: Express
DAVOS:
US President Donald Trump inaugurated his new “Peace Board” in Davos on Thursday, with a signing ceremony for a body with a $1 billion membership fee and a host of guests.
A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries, including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary, gathered on stage with Trump to put their names on the body’s founding charter.
Pakistan signed the junta’s charter as part of its ongoing efforts to support the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the document along with other world leaders including those of Qatar, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Argentina, Kosovo, Paraguay, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Bulgaria and others.
The first to sign the letter was the President of the United States, who later witnessed the ceremony held on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum held here.
Pakistan had received President Trump’s invitation to join the Board, which was later accepted.
Pakistan was among eight Muslim states that announced membership in the body on Wednesday, which included Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
It was announced that each country would sign the accession documents in accordance with their respective relevant legal and other necessary procedures, including Egypt, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, which have already announced their accession.
Pakistan had expressed hope that with the creation of this framework concrete steps would be taken for the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further increase in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, as well as the 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 and 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,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier said in a statement.
Addressing the ceremony, President Trump said that “everyone” wants to be part of his Peace Board.
He said he will continue to “work with many others, including the United Nations.”
Once this board is fully formed, we can pretty much do whatever we want. And we will do it together with the United Nations,” Trump said, adding that the UN had great potential that had not been fully realized.
“There is tremendous potential in the United Nations, and I think the combination of the Peace Board with the type of people we have here could be something very, very unique for the world,” Trump said.
He also reiterated that his administration had helped stop eight wars in a ten-month period, specifically citing the prevention of a war between the two atomic powers, Pakistan and India.
Trump, who is the president of the Peace Board, said they were “in most cases very popular leaders, in some cases not so popular. That’s the way things are in life.”
Originally intended to oversee peace in Gaza after the war between Hamas and Israel, the board’s charter provides for a broader role in resolving international conflicts, raising concerns that Trump wants it to rival the United Nations.
However, Trump said the organization would work “in conjunction” with the UN.
However, potential Peace Board membership has proven controversial, with Trump inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine four years ago.
Trump said Putin had agreed to join, while the Russian leader said he was still studying the invitation.
Permanent members must also pay $1 billion to join, prompting criticism that the junta could become a “pay-to-play” version of the U.N. Security Council.
United Kingdom and France reject the signing
Key US allies, including France and Britain, have expressed skepticism, and the UK said on Thursday it would not attend the ceremony.
The members on stage largely had close ties to Trump, including Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Argentina’s Javier Milei, or wanted to show their loyalty to the US president.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over the war in Gaza, has said he will join the ceremony but was not at it.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the ceremony that the junta’s goal was “first and foremost to ensure that this peace agreement in Gaza is lasting.”
However, Trump said Hamas will disarm in the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement or it will be “the end of them.”
The launch of the junta comes against the backdrop of Trump’s frustration over his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, despite his controversial claim to have ended eight conflicts.
