Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of attempting to undermine global multilateralism with his proposed “Board of Peace,” describing the initiative as an effort to create “a new United Nations” under Trump’s control.
Speaking on Friday, Lula said that instead of reforming the United Nations, Trump was pushing an alternative global body where power would be concentrated in one individual. “Instead of fixing the UN, what’s happening? President Trump is proposing to create a new UN where only he is the owner,” the Brazilian leader said.
Trump unveiled the “Board of Peace” on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The initiative, initially presented as a framework to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, was launched with leaders and officials from 19 countries signing its founding charter. Under the proposal, a permanent seat on the board reportedly costs $1 billion, with Trump positioned as chairman.
However, the charter does not appear to limit the board’s mandate to Gaza alone, raising concerns that it could rival the United Nations in broader global conflict resolution.
Lula strongly defended multilateralism, warning against what he described as a drift toward “the law of the jungle” in international relations. He added that the principles of the UN were being eroded, saying “the UN Charter is being torn.”
His comments came a day after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who urged Lula to help safeguard the “central role” of the United Nations in global affairs.
Skepticism over Trump’s proposal has also emerged among key U.S. allies. The United Kingdom has expressed reservations over the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022. France has gone further, stating that the board’s charter, in its current form, is “incompatible” with France’s international commitments, particularly its membership in the United Nations.
As doubts grow among major world powers, Trump’s “Board of Peace” faces an uncertain path amid fears it could weaken, rather than strengthen, the existing international order.
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