https://sputniknews.in/20260121/board-of-peace-lacks-full-un-authority-to-govern-expert-10379680.html
'Board of Peace' Lacks Full UN Authority to Govern: Expert
'Board of Peace' Lacks Full UN Authority to Govern: Expert
Sputnik India
India has traditionally shared warm ties with both Israel and Palestine, enjoying a strategic partnership with Tel Aviv and backing the demand for an independent Palestinian state.
2026-01-21T22:06+0530
2026-01-21T22:06+0530
2026-01-21T22:20+0530
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The US President Donald Trump's invitation to India to join its "Board of Peace" raises both opportunities and tensions with Indian foreign policy.The high-level body to oversee post-war government and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip is framed by Washington as a multilateral mechanism that could address other global conflicts —and a a parallel structure to institutions like the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)."The Middle East remains central to India's energy security, hosts over eight million Indian expatriates and constitutes a critical theatre for counterterrorism cooperation," he said.But structural and political concerns complicate participation.The proposed Board of Peace is US-centric in both design and authority, and permanent membership depends on financial commitment of about $1 billion, restricting influence to rich states.That changes diplomacy to finance, Chaudhary said.The proposed power structures also raise questions. While the board includes states like India, China, Russia, Egypt and Turkey, the powerful executive board is dominated by Western and US figures like Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British prime minister Tony Blair.Worse still, it lacks a Palestinian representative at the executive level.While the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a technocratic body responsible for daily government, is led by Palestinian academic Dr Ali Sha'ath and includes Palestinian professionals, critics argue that only foreign powers have real authority.Since 2025, Washington has imposed 50% tariffs on selected Indian exports, contributing to a 15% to 20% decline in India–US trade volumes in recent months.Sectors like textiles, gems and jewellery and car parts are worst affected, prompting India to diversify export markets including increased trade with China, Chaudhury said.Joining a US-led initiative with financial and political imbalance could be seen as conceding diplomatic leverage, diluting strategic autonomy.The Board of Peace cannot be viewed as a credible alternative to existing UN mechanisms like as the UNSC, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) or peacekeeping operations, even if their viability is in question.Althoght Trump has suggested the board might replace the UN, its structure, scope and legitimacy would not be enoughBut Trump's group is "an ad-hoc, US-initiated body with membership determined solely by invitations" to 58 to 60 countries, excluding the Palestinians and charging "a $1 billion fee for permanent seats, making it elitist and unrepresentative rather than a true global alternative."The board's charter, while expandable, is tied to Gaza's post-war management and limited by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 until the end of 2027, and lacks the permanence scope to serve as a replacement, she explained. She added that the Board has no legal powers — it relies on voluntary contributions and US coordination as an advisory or oversight panel without the tools or treaty foundations needed to rival UN mechanisms, the scholar pointed out.That makes it "vulnerable to shifts in administration or personal whims, rather than a stable, independent alternative."
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'Board of Peace' Lacks Full UN Authority to Govern: Expert
22:06 21.01.2026 (Updated: 22:20 21.01.2026) India has traditionally shared warm ties with both Israel and Palestine, enjoying a strategic partnership with Tel Aviv and backing the demand for an independent Palestinian state.
The US President Donald Trump's invitation to India to join its
"Board of Peace" raises both opportunities and tensions with Indian foreign policy.
The high-level body to oversee post-war government and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip is framed by Washington as a
multilateral mechanism that could address other global conflicts —and a a parallel structure to institutions like the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
"From one perspective, Indian participation could enhance New Delhi's diplomatic footprint in a region of enduring strategic importance," foreign policy analyst and founder of the Middle East Insights Platform Dr Shubhda Chaudhary told Sputnik India.
"The Middle East remains central to India's energy security, hosts over eight million Indian expatriates and constitutes a critical theatre for counterterrorism cooperation," he said.
But structural and political concerns complicate participation.
The proposed Board of Peace is US-centric in both design and authority, and permanent membership depends on financial commitment of about $1 billion, restricting influence to rich states.
That changes diplomacy to finance, Chaudhary said.
The proposed power structures also raise questions. While the board includes states like India, China, Russia, Egypt and Turkey, the powerful executive board is dominated by Western and US figures like Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British prime minister Tony Blair.
Worse still, it lacks a Palestinian representative at the executive level.
While the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a technocratic body responsible for daily government, is led by Palestinian academic Dr Ali Sha'ath and includes Palestinian professionals, critics argue that only foreign powers have real authority.
"India's hesitation thus far appears consistent with its longstanding diplomatic caution," Chaudhary stressed. "Accepting the invitation without clear safeguards could entangle New Delhi in a US-dominated framework at a moment of notable bilateral economic friction."
Since 2025, Washington has imposed 50% tariffs on selected Indian exports, contributing to a 15% to 20% decline in India–US trade volumes in recent months.
Sectors like textiles, gems and jewellery and car parts are worst affected, prompting India to diversify export markets including increased trade with China, Chaudhury said.
Joining a US-led initiative with financial and political imbalance could be seen as conceding diplomatic leverage, diluting
strategic autonomy."A more consistent approach would therefore lie in selective engagement rather than formal institutional alignment," Chaudhary said. "Options such as observer status, targeted humanitarian assistance, or bilateral reconstruction aid to Gaza would allow India to contribute meaningfully to peace and stability while preserving decision-making independence."
The Board of Peace cannot be viewed as a credible alternative to existing UN mechanisms like as the UNSC,
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) or peacekeeping operations, even if their viability is in question.
Althoght Trump has suggested the board might replace the UN, its structure, scope and
legitimacy would not be enough
"First, the UN derives its authority from near-universal membership of 193 states and the UN Charter, which provides a legal basis for collective decision-making," Chaudhary said.
But Trump's group is "an ad-hoc, US-initiated body with membership determined solely by invitations" to 58 to 60 countries, excluding the Palestinians and charging "a $1 billion fee for permanent seats, making it elitist and unrepresentative rather than a true global alternative."
The board's charter, while expandable, is tied to Gaza's post-war management and limited by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 until the end of 2027, and lacks the
permanence scope to serve as a replacement, she explained.
She added that the Board has no legal powers — it relies on voluntary contributions and US coordination as an advisory or oversight panel without the tools or treaty foundations needed to rival UN mechanisms, the scholar pointed out.
"Unlike the UN's rotating and consensus-driven leadership, the Board is chaired for life by Trump personally, granting him unilateral veto power, appointment authority, and dispute resolution rights," Chaudhary said.
That makes it "vulnerable to shifts in administration or personal whims, rather than a stable, independent alternative."
