Displaced Palestinians struggle to carry on daily life amid the rubble as the Israeli attacks continue while the Palestinians are deprived of basic necessities, at the makeshift tents set up near their destroyed homes during cold weather on January 18, 2026, in Jabalia, Gaza Strip. Photo: VCG

Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to US President Donald Trump's invitation, which have been addressed to some 60 nations, to join his "Board of Peace" initiative aimed at resolving conflicts globally, a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the UN, Reuters reported. A Chinese expert pointed out that the so-called "board" mainly serves as to cater to the president's personal interests and noted that potentially convening a group of countries would not create a UN equivalent.

The invitations have been addressed to some 60 nations and began arriving in European capitals on Saturday, and governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to the invitation, Reuters reported on Sunday.

Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan said Sunday they had received invitations. Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and Albania have already said they were invited. It was not clear how many have been invited in all, per AP News on Sunday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he has agreed in principle to join the "Board of Peace" initiative because he wants to support the reconstruction of Gaza. But he said many details, including financing, still need to be worked out, Canadian media outlet The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday.

Speaking to ABC Sydney Radio on Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had received correspondence from the US president overnight but could not say whether Australia would join the board. "I'll have a look at that when I'm in the office this morning, but I'm not going to respond to something that I haven't had the opportunity to give proper consideration to," he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accepted an invitation to join the board, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told state radio Sunday, according to AP News. 

The board would be chaired for life by Trump and would start by addressing the Gaza conflict and then be expanded to deal with other conflicts, according to a copy of the letter and draft charter seen by Reuters. Member states would be limited to three-year terms unless they pay $1 billion each to fund the board's activities and earn permanent membership, the letter states.

A mandate for a Board of Peace was authorized by the UN Security Council in November, but only through 2027 and solely focused on the Gaza conflict, per Reuters.

The so-called "Board of Peace" appears to have been designed to serve personal interests, particularly as it allows the US president to chair for life while limiting other members to three-year terms, highlighting its highly individualized nature, Lü Xiang, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

The underlying intent is to secure long-term control over the board, thereby positioning it as the most influential authority in Gaza's post-conflict reconstruction regardless of the outcome on the ground, the expert noted. 

While the ultimate objectives of this institution remain unclear, Lü said that it is reasonable to surmise that commercial interests are likely to be a significant consideration.

A report by The New York Times on Sunday noted that the omission of mention of Gaza in the charter added to speculation that the group may have a broader mandate to cover other conflicts and could even be aimed at creating a US-dominated alternative to the UN Security Council.

Reuters also reported that the inclusion of a 'charter' in the invitation letter stoked concerns among some European governments that it could undermine the work of the UN. "It's a 'Trump United Nations' that ignores the fundamentals of the UN charter," said one diplomat. Three other Western diplomats said it looked as if it would undermine the UN if it went ahead.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Guterres "believes Member States are free to associate in different groups" in response to a question about the draft US charter for a Board of Peace, per Reuters. "The United Nations will continue with its mandated work," deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said.

Trump has long been wary of multilateral institutions, particularly the UN. He has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness, cost and accountability of international bodies, arguing they often fail to serve US interests, the report  by Reuters noted.

The expert stated that the board Trump seeks to establish cannot replace the UN and that potentially convening a group of countries would not create a UN equivalent.  The US government currently also lacks the influence to challenge other countries in this way, Lü added.

The expert said that a US withdrawal from the UN would also entail a high cost, because it would mean giving up the veto power the US holds as one of the five permanent members. 

The expert also added that previous US threats, including those involving Venezuela and Greenland, demonstrate that the Trump administration is not aligned with peace-oriented objectives.