US President Donald Trump has said on Tuesday that his proposed ‘Board of Peace’ could one day replace the United Nations, while marking one year since the start of his second term at the White House.
During a speech that lasted over an hour, Trump called the UN “not very helpful” before he took questions from reporters. When asked whether the Board of Peace could take the place of the United Nations, he said it “might”. He added that while the UN had “potential”, he had never considered approaching the organisation to resolve conflicts.
During the same appearance, Trump released a list of what he called achievements from his year back in office, citing actions taken on domestic and foreign policy.
The idea of a Board of Peace has previously been linked to Trump’s plan for Gaza. Under that proposal, the Board was intended to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Trump later said the scope would be expanded to address conflicts in other parts of the world.
Observers have said that the creation of such a body could weaken the role of the United Nations. Rights experts and advocates have also said that Trump leading a board tasked with supervising the affairs of a foreign territory resembled a colonial structure.
The ceasefire in Gaza reached under Trump’s plan has faced repeated violations. Since the truce began in October, more than 460 Palestinians, including over 100 children have been reported killed, according to figures cited in reports.