Trump formally rolls out his Board of Peace, says it will act beyond Gaza

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump formally rolled out Thursday his Board of Peace, saying the group on which he is serving as chairman will work in partnership with the UN to address crises far beyond the Gaza Strip.

"We're committed to ensuring Gaza is demilitarized, properly governed and beautifully rebuilt. It's going to be a great plan, and that's where the Board of Peace really started. And I think we can spread out to other things as we succeed with Gaza," Trump said as he hosted nearly two dozen world leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum for a signing ceremony.

"It's going to be a great thing to watch. And we can do other things. We can do numerous other things. Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do, and we'll do it in conjunction with the United Nations," he added.

Representatives from multiple nations signed the organization's founding documents. Details on the board's mandate, as well as its charter, were not immediately available.

Questions have long lingered about the scope of the board's mandate, but Trump's comments appear to confirm that it will be involved in global affairs far beyond Gaza as he continued to criticize what he said is the UN's failure to use its "tremendous potential."

"There is tremendous potential with the United Nations. And I think the combination of the Board of Peace with the kind of people we have up here, coupled with the United Nations, can be something very, very unique for the world," he said.