Slovenia holds off joining US-backed Gaza peace board

SARAJEVO

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said Wednesday that Slovenia will not, for now, join the US-backed Board of Peace focused on Gaza, citing concerns that the initiative’s broad mandate could undermine the international system anchored in the United Nations.

Speaking at a press conference, Golob said the UN-centered order has safeguarded Slovenia’s national interests and helped ensure decades of peace across Europe, stressing that Ljubljana remains committed to international law and multilateral frameworks.

He said Slovenia could reconsider participation if the board’s mandate were narrowed specifically to postwar reconstruction in Gaza, and potentially the West Bank.

Golob also announced he will skip the signing of the board’s founding charter in Davos, opting instead to travel to Brussels for consultations with leaders of other European Union member states.

Those talks, he said, aim to shape a common EU response to recent initiatives linked to Greenland.

The White House has said the Board of Peace is part of a broader 20-point plan on Gaza endorsed by the UN Security Council in November 2025 under Resolution 2803.

The US is expected to announce the official list of members in the coming days. Several countries have said they recently received invitations to join the Board of Peace, including Türkiye, Argentina, Belarus, Canada, Australia, Egypt, Hungary, Pakistan, Jordan, Israel, India, and Russia.

Last Friday, the White House announced the formation of the Board of Peace alongside approval of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, one of four bodies designated to manage the enclave’s transitional phase.

The board’s creation coincided with the launch of phase two of a ceasefire that halted Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 71,000 people and wounded over 171,000 others since October 2023.

The initiative is part of a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump and adopted by the UN Security Council last November.