India’s possible participation in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ uncertain

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

Updated on: Jan 22, 2026, 24:07:04 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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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.

Smoke rises from a scene of destruction in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel, on Wednesday. (REUTERS)

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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