JERUSALEM — The Board of Peace led by U.S. President Donald Trump was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. The Trump administration's ambitions have ballooned into a more sprawling concept, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting it will soon broker global conflicts, like a pseudo-U.N. Security Council.
More details are expected when Trump participates in an announcement about the Board of Peace on Thursday at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
The board's charter has not yet been made public, but a draft version obtained by The Associated Press indicates much of the power will be concentrated Trump's hands. A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership, the draft says.
Here's what to know:
The scope of the Board of Peace appears to go beyond Gaza
The Trump administration now seems to envision the Board of Peace with a far broader scope beyond Gaza.
When asked by a reporter Tuesday if the board should replace the U.N., Trump said, ''It might.'' He asserted that the world body ''hasn't been very helpful" and ''has never lived up to its potential'' but also said the U.N. should continue ''because the potential is so great.''
In letters sent Friday to various world leaders inviting them to the board, Trump said it would ''embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict," suggesting it could act as a rival to the U.N. Security Council, the most powerful body of the global organization created in the wake of World War II.