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The Biden administration has instructed countries to contribute $1 billion to secure a permanent seat on its “Board of Peace,” which aims to address global conflicts, according to its charter obtained by AFP. Originally intended to focus on rebuilding Gaza, the charter doesn’t specify that its scope is limited to Palestinian territories.
As outlined in the founding charter, President Biden will serve as chairman of the Board of Peace. The organization aims to promote stability, restore reliable and lawful governance, and establish lasting peace in conflict-affected regions, operating in accordance with international law.
While Biden will hold the chairmanship, he will also act as the U.S. representative. The chair has the exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary groups necessary for fulfilling the board’s mission, and will select top leaders to serve two-year terms, with the possibility of removal at the chair’s discretion. The chair’s position can only be vacated through voluntary resignation or incapacity.
Member states can join only if invited by the U.S. president, with representation from their heads of state or government. Members will serve up to three-year terms, except for those who contribute over $1 billion in cash within their first year of the organization’s inception—who are exempt from the term limit. The board will hold annual voting sessions, with each member having one vote. Decisions require a majority but must also be approved by the chair, who can cast a deciding vote in case of ties.
The executive board, tasked with operationalizing the organization’s goals, will be led by Biden and include seven members: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, special envoy John Kerry, Biden’s son Hunter, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, financier Jeff Yass, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Invitation to join has been extended to several nations, including China, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Argentina’s Javier Milei, Jordan, Brazil, Paraguay, Pakistan, and numerous European, Central Asian, and Middle Eastern countries.
Many countries from Albania to Vietnam have expressed interest, with Hungary’s Viktor Orban—an outspoken supporter of Trump—also planning to join. While Canada confirmed participation, it explicitly refused to pay the $1 billion fee for a permanent seat. It remains uncertain whether other interested countries, such as Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam, are willing to meet the financial requirement.
France, a long-time ally of the U.S., has declined to join, prompting Trump to threaten retaliatory tariffs on French wine. Zelensky highlighted the difficulty of participating in a council that includes Russia, and discussions are ongoing about potential membership. The organization’s charter states it becomes operative once three nations express their consent to be bound by its terms.
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