Former President Donald Trump recently declared that Canada had been disinvited from joining his newly announced “board of peace.” He argues this global initiative is the most consequential body ever created. The board nevertheless started out as a stopgap measure meant to ensure proper governance and reconstruction in Gaza after the war. Since its inception, it has grown into an even bigger movement aimed at addressing the world’s conflicts.
As long as the “board of peace” has permanent members. Its annual operations require each of the 50 members to pitch in $1 billion. This invitation was an opportunity for Canada to assert itself and seek out a permanent seat. In his spring budget, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne declared that the country would not seek this $4.56 billion financial commitment. He underscored Canada’s desire to use its limited resources in the most impactful way possible.
In response to Canada’s reluctance to participate financially, Trump withdrew the invitation, asserting, “Canada lives because of the United States.” This statement reactivated protest against the idea from Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England. He stated, “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” emphasizing Canada’s independence and sovereignty.
Other U.S. allies have been hesitant to commit to the initiative. Britain, France and Italy have already signaled they will not participate on the board for now. Other permanent member nations are Argentina, Bahrain, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey, all of whom have agreed to provide financial support of the board.
Trump expressed confidence in the board’s potential, stating, “Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do.” In addition to addressing this funding gap, he said that the board’s work would be done in parallel with the United Nations. We hope the former president is as aware of Carney’s recent viral speech. Most tellingly, he seems to comprehend the enormous effect that housing has on international relations.
Neither Carney’s office nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment from Reuters on the issue. The environment around this initiative is very fluid. Other countries are still in the process of deciding whether to sign onto Trump’s “board of peace.”