Ireland has been invited to take part in Donald Trump’s proposed “board of peace” for Gaza but will have to give the proposal “careful consideration”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the US president’s plan for postwar Gaza had been discussed at a meeting of EU ambassadors on Sunday.
Israel has already raised concerns about some of Mr Trump’s plans for the make-up of the board, which is a part of the American president’s 20 point peace plan for the Middle East.
Confirmed members of the board so far include former UK prime minister Tony Blair and Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Countries who wish to sit on the board for longer than three years will be expected to contribute $1 billion (€860 million).
Ms McEntee said the United Nations “has a unique mandate to maintain international peace and security, and the legitimacy to bring nations together to find common solutions to shared challenges”.
“While it may be imperfect, the UN and the primacy of international law is more important now than ever. Ireland’s commitment to the UN and the primacy of the UN Charter is without question,” she said.
“Ireland has received an invitation from the United States to participate in the proposed Board of Peace. We will need to give this careful consideration. In doing so, we will co-ordinate closely with our EU and wider European partners.
“It is essential for attention to remain focused on Gaza and on the full implementation of phase two of the peace plan. This is central to achieving progress on the ground and to supporting a sustainable path forward.”
Only Hungary, whose leader is a close Trump ally, gave an unequivocal acceptance in response to the invitations, which have been addressed to some 60 nations and began arriving in European capitals on Saturday, according to diplomats.
Other governments appeared reluctant to make public statements, leaving officials to express concerns anonymously about the impact on the work of the UN.
The board would be chaired for life by Mr Trump and would start by addressing the Gaza conflict and then be expanded to deal with other conflicts, according to a copy of the letter and draft charter seen by Reuters.
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney said on Sunday he had agreed to Mr Trump’s board of peace for Gaza in principle although details were still being worked out.
A mandate for a board of peace was authorised by the United Nations Security Council in November, but only through 2027 and solely focused on the Gaza conflict. Russia and China, two veto wielding powers, abstained, complaining that the resolution did not give the UN a clear role in the future of Gaza.
The inclusion of a “charter” in the invitation letter stoked concerns among some European governments that it could undermine the work of the United Nations, which Trump has accused of not supporting his efforts to end conflicts around the world.
“It’s a ‘Trump United Nations’ that ignores the fundamentals of the UN charter,” said one diplomat.
The document said “durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common-sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed”. There was a “need for a more nimble and effective international peace-building body”, it added.
A spokesperson for UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said Mr Guterres “believes member states are free to associate in different groups” in response to a question about the draft US charter for a board of peace.
Mr Trump has long been wary of multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations. He has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness, cost and accountability of international bodies, arguing they often fail to serve US interests. – Additional reporter Reuters