WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump convened the inaugural session of his new Board of Peace, a multinational committee he established to coordinate conflict resolution, reconstruction and stabilization efforts in war-torn regions around the world. Trump first launched the Board of Peace earlier this year, signing its charter at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where leaders and representatives from about 19 countries gathered for the ceremonial unveiling. The initiative has drawn broad interest — and criticism — for its ambition to operate as a global peace-building body with a broad mandate that some view as parallel to, or in competition with, traditional United Nations mechanisms.
The first official peace meeting of the Board of Peace is being held this week on February 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C., at the building formerly known as the U.S. Institute of Peace, which the administration has incorporated into its peace initiative facilities. Trump said the gathering will focus on concrete commitments toward reconstructing the Gaza Strip after years of conflict involving Israel and Hamas, and on deploying international stabilizing forces and police units to support peace enforcement and security.
Who Will Attend: Delegations from more than 20 countries have been invited, including national representatives, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from regional powers and emerging nations. One confirmed attendee is Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who will represent Benjamin Netanyahu’s government at the meeting. Some countries, particularly several in Europe, are participating only as observers amid cautious reactions to the board’s structure and objectives.
The Board of Peace’s first session is expected to draw representatives not only from Middle Eastern countries but also from Asia, Africa, and other regions that have been affected by conflict or instability. Trump is slated to chair the meeting and preside over announcements regarding financial pledges, commitments of personnel for stabilization work, and frameworks for international cooperation.
Topics to Discuss: A central agenda item is a multi-billion-dollar pledging framework for the reconstruction of Gaza, which Trump said will involve contributions from member states and potentially thousands of personnel for an international stabilization force. Estimates from international institutions suggest that rebuilding Gaza’s infrastructure could cost tens of billions of dollars, and the board aims to marshal funding and organizational support to meet that need.
Discussions will also cover plans for the deployment of an International Stabilization Force authorized by the United Nations Security Council to help oversee security, disarm militant groups, and assist in police and governance efforts under the framework of the ceasefire negotiated last year. Humanitarian aid coordination, transitional governance structures for post-conflict zones, and mechanisms for monitoring compliance with peace terms are on the agenda as well.
Behind the scenes, U.S. officials have been engaging with would-be board members to solidify commitments and clarify expectations for the nascent body, which critics argue could operate outside traditional international agreements and norms. The Trump administration views the Board of Peace as a platform to reframe conflict resolution and reconstruction around what it calls “effective, pragmatic action,” though the initiative’s long-term prospects remain a subject of debate among foreign policy experts.
In sum, this week’s Board of Peace meeting represents the first substantive step in Trump’s effort to bring global actors together under a U.S.-led peacebuilding framework, with a primary focus on Gaza reconstruction but with ambitions that extend to other international conflicts as the initiative evolves.
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By M. Bell, Staff Reporter
(2026) Bee News Daily
