US President Donald Trump has said the United Nations, which he believes has “never lived up to its potential”, should be doing more so that there would be no need for the newly created ‘Board of Peace’, an initiative he suggested “might” replace the global body in addressing the Gaza situation.
The ‘Board of Peace’ has been established by Trump to support the reconstruction of Gaza and pursue what he described as a new framework for conflict resolution.
Responding to a question at a White House press conference on whether he wants the Board of Peace to replace the United Nations, Trump said, "Well, it might. The UN just hasn't been very helpful. I'm a big fan of the UN's potential, but it has never lived up to its potential,”
Trump was addressing a packed briefing room on Tuesday, marking the one-year anniversary of his second term in office. The press conference lasted 105 minutes.
During his remarks, Trump said the US had recently created the Board of Peace, “which I think is going to be amazing.”
“I wish the United Nations could do more. I wish we didn't need a Board of Peace,” he said.
Trump claimed that he had settled eight wars in the first year of his second term, adding that the United Nations had not assisted him in any of those efforts.
“I mean, I guess I'm not blaming them. I didn't call them to help, but I got, you know, the Presidents and Prime Ministers together, we knocked heads, we got along, and they liked me,” Trump said.
He added, “The UN should have settled every one of the wars that I settled. I never went to them. I never even thought to go to them. They should be able to settle those wars. They don't. I believe you got to let the UN continue, because the potential is so great,”
During the press conference, Trump again repeated his claim that he had settled eight wars, including conflicts between India and Pakistan, Kosovo and Serbia, and the Congo and Rwanda, among others.
Trump has invited several global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to join the Board of Peace, which is being seen as a rival to the United Nations. The body is expected to work towards bringing lasting peace to Gaza and pursue what Trump described as a "bold new approach" to resolving "global conflict”.
On Thursday, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Trump is set to participate in the “Board of Peace Charter announcement”, during which nations will be invited to sign the charter and formally join the body focused on Gaza’s redevelopment under his broader plan to end the conflict.
Reacting to the development, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations has long coexisted alongside multiple international organisations.
"There are regional organisations, subregional organisations, and various defence alliances around the world. Some of them, we have relationship agreements with," Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, had said Monday.
"Some of them, we don't. We would have to see in terms of details what the Board of Peace becomes as it actually is established to know what sort of relationship we would have with it," Haq said.
When asked whether the UN Secretary-General had received an invitation to join the Board of Peace, Haq said, “I'm not aware of any communication that we've received on any of this."