Russia raised concerns on Thursday about the potential relationship between US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace and the United Nations Security Council, Reuters reported.
Trump first introduced the Board of Peace in September as part of his 20-point plan to resolve Israel’s war in Gaza. He later expanded its mandate to address other global conflicts, traditionally managed by the United Nations.
Trump formally introduced the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22. The board held its inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.
The United States is the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to have joined the Board of Peace. The other permanent members are Russia, China, Britain, and France.
Russia was to the Board of Peace last month, with Trump suggesting President Vladimir Putin had accepted the invitation, while Putin has said he would study the proposal.
"The charter of the Board of Peace defines itself as a new international structure designed to replace 'mechanisms that have too often proved ineffective,'" said Kirill Logvinov, a Russian foreign ministry official, in an interview with state news agency TASS on Thursday.
Logvinov added that the board’s mandate does not explicitly mention Gaza. He questioned how the Board of Peace would coexist with the UN and its Security Council, which is the universally recognized body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
He also pointed out that UN Secretary-General António Guterres has not been invited to any of the board's meetings thus far. The board's charter states that it will undertake "peace-building functions in accordance with international law."