EU and the Board of Peace.

Photo by Saifee Art on pexels.com

Earlier this year, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, proposed the Board of Peace as an alternative international organisation to the United Nations system, which he has repeatedly criticized. The UN Security Council established the new organisation in November 2025, through Resolution 2803, for the reconstruction of Gaza and the end of the conflict in the region. 

However, the resolution and the Board of Peace itself have been heavily criticised by many, among which UN experts themselves; indeed, “the experts warned that the establishment and endorsement of the Board of Peace by the UN Security Council Resolution 2803 is fundamentally contrary to basic principles of international law, including the right to self-determination”. 

Furthermore, the UN organ unlikely expected the Board of Peace to go beyond the reconstruction of Gaza, but from Trump’s statements and the organisation’s charter, it’s clear that the latter longs for more than that; as pointed out by The Guardian, “presumably the UN did not envisage creating a board of peace of which Trump would be the chair for as long as he sees fit”.

Despite this, the EU’s foreign ministers met Nikolai Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician elected as Director-General of the Board of Peace and High Representative for Gaza by Donald Trump, on 23rd of February. 

Amnesty International encouraged the EU and its member states to demand that the Board of Peace puts Palestinians’ rights first; in particular, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns for Amnesty International, urged the EU to be clear on this: “this body is no substitute for the UN, the international human rights framework, or the global justice system painstakingly built over decades to uphold universal values, cooperation and equality”. According to the human rights group, the new organisation marginalises Palestinians’ rights and their self-determination, jeopardizing compliance with international law. 

As reported by Amnesty International, more than one year ago, “on 24 February 2025, the EU hosted Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister at the EU-Israel Association Council. High Representative Kaja Kallas stated she was “glad to welcome” the foreign minister to Brussels and pledged that the EU would “continue to be an honest, open and viable, reliable partner to the region”. Only days after the meeting, Israel ended the fragile truce, resuming its siege on Gaza, killing humanitarian workers, and striking the region once again. 

As for today, the EU positions itself along with the UN, reiterating “its call for the full implementation by all parties of the ceasefire and all other provisions of UNSCR 2803, in line with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and international political and legal principles”. As regards Gaza, the European Union declares itself willing to contribute to its reconstruction and redevelopment, while engaging with international and regional stakeholders on this matter. Furthermore, “the European Council deplores the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and calls on Israel to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza”.

However, what further developments this new organisation and its semi-partnership with the EU will bring to Gaza is yet to be seen.

written by Alice Scotti