New Delhi: Uncertainty continues to surround India’s possible participation in a signing ceremony for President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” on the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said.
The Indian side has been examining Trump’s invitation, along with dozens of other countries, to join the body that will work to bring peace to Gaza and possibly take on other global conflicts, in view of a number of sensitive issues associated with the proposal, the people said on condition of anonymity.
Trump is set to host a ceremony on the margins of the WEF in the Swiss mountain resort to announce the contours of the Board of Peace and its charter. On Wednesday, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia joined the countries that have accepted Trump’s invitation, following in the footsteps of Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the country “looks forward to continue playing a constructive role as part of the Board of Peace”, and expressed hope that the framework will work for a permanent ceasefire, scaling up humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
While the Indian side has backed all efforts aimed at ensuring a lasting peace in Gaza and a two-state solution, the open-ended nature of the Board of Peace has raised questions in New Delhi, the people said.
Trump has described the board as the next phase of his administration’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, and the body was first introduced in 2025 with a specific two-year mandate from the UN Security Council to manage post-war Gaza. However, concerns have grown on the Indian side because of the sweeping mandate outlined in the official charter, which doesn’t even have a direct reference to Gaza. The Board of Peace also appears to be positioned as an alternative to existing frameworks and international institutions such as the United Nations.
Till late on Wednesday, there was no word on whether Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Prahlad Joshi, who are attending the WEF, could possibly represent India at Thursday’s ceremony to be hosted by the US. Another option that was being looked at was the possibility of the Indian envoy to Switzerland attending the event, the people said.
Key players such as China and Russia have also remained non-committal on the invitation to join the Board of Peace.
