Davos, Jan 22— India was among several major countries absent from the signing ceremony of US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace”, unveiled on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.
France, the United Kingdom, China and Germany also stayed away from the event, even as Washington projected the initiative as a new international platform to build peace in Gaza and beyond.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the global leaders invited by Trump to join the board, announced during the second phase of the Israel–Hamas ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. India, however, has not yet taken a decision.
“India is considering various aspects as the initiative involves sensitive issues,” people familiar with the matter said.
New Delhi has consistently backed a two-State solution, calling for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security within recognised borders.
The signing ceremony was hosted by Trump on the margins of the annual WEF meeting in the Swiss mountain resort.
According to US officials, the “Board of Peace” is envisioned as an international organisation to guide post-conflict governance and redevelopment efforts, particularly in Gaza. The board’s charter describes it as “an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
It adds that “durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed,” language that has fuelled speculation that the body could emerge as a parallel to existing multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations.
Washington has said the board will play a central role in implementing Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, which includes “deradicalising the territory, ensuring it becomes a terror-free zone, and overseeing redevelopment for the benefit of the people of the strip.”
The top tier of the Board of Peace will consist “exclusively” of heads of state, with Trump positioned at its helm.
Countries that have joined the board include Argentina, Turkey, Jordan, Indonesia, Qatar, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Several others — including Germany, Italy, Paraguay, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine — have remained non-committal on the invitation.
The White House last week announced the formation of a founding executive committee to operationalise the board’s vision. Its members include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, World Bank president Ajay Banga, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan and US national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
The executive committee will oversee a separate administrative body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, tasked with coordinating governance and funding mechanisms during Gaza’s transition from conflict to reconstruction.