The Vatican will not participate in US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace," its secretary of state announced on Tuesday, according to AFP.
The board, which is chaired by Trump, was originally conceived to oversee the Gaza truce and the reconstruction of the territory following the war between the Hamas terrorist organization and Israel. However, the body’s mission has since expanded to include the resolution of various international conflicts. This shift has sparked concerns that the US President intends to establish a diplomatic entity to rival the United Nations.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, emphasized that the United Nations is the appropriate venue for managing the world’s most significant crises.
“For us, there are... some critical issues that should be resolved, let’s say," Cardinal Parolin stated, as quoted by AFP.
“That is, at the international level, it is above all the UN that manages these crisis situations," he added. “This is one of the, one of the points on which we have insisted."
At least 19 countries have signed the founding charter of the Board of Peace since Trump launched the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.
Participating countries have been requested to pay $1 billion for permanent membership in the organization, sparking criticism from some that the initiative could become a "pay-to-play" version of the United Nations Security Council.
The official X account of the Board of Peace announced this past Thursday that Israel has joined the international organization as a founding member, joining 27 other countries.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar will represent Israel at the first meeting of the Board of Peace.