OVIEDO, Spain
Spain will not join the US-led Board of Peace, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday, citing concerns over its mandate and lack of Palestinian representation.
Sanchez said the board is “outside the UN framework” and does not include the Palestinian Authority.
“The future of Gaza should be decided by Palestinians,” he told journalists after an informal meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.
“And the future of their peaceful and secure coexistence with Israel must also be decided primarily by Israel and Palestine, through a dialogue-based process that implements the two-state solution, allows humanitarian aid to enter and guarantees peace between both countries,” he added.
The Spanish leader said Spain “appreciates” the invitation but decided to decline it for reasons of “coherence” with Madrid’s foreign policy, which he said is based on international law and multilateral institutions.
“Spain will continue working on the peace process alongside many other European partners and the international community,” he added.
As of Thursday, more than 20 countries have agreed to join the Board of Peace, including Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Argentina, Hungary, Pakistan, Vietnam and Albania.
France and Norway have declined invitations to join, while US President Donald Trump revoked Canada’s invitation.
On Thursday, the president of the European Council said European leaders have “serious doubts about a number of elements” of the board’s charter, including its scope, governance and compatibility with the UN Charter.
Although the board was originally conceived to oversee the ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza, its charter expands its mandate to peace-building in all areas affected by or at risk of conflict.