Vatican hesitates to join Trump’s Board of Peace

The Holy See will not become a member of the Board of Peace international organization spearheaded by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Vatican Secretary of State said Tuesday. The U.S.-led Board of Peace was first designed to oversee reconstruction and postwar governance of the Gaza Strip, but the White House has suggested it could also resolve other global conflicts. The church government’s decision not to join was due to the nature of the board, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said, according to Vatican News.

When asked if the Vatican would join as an observer, Parolin clarified his earlier statement by saying various issues first needed to be resolved. The Vatican insisted that the United Nations should be in charge of managing international crises above the peace board, he said.

What has Trump said about the board’s relationship with the UN? He wanted the board, which consists of roughly 20 member countries headed by an executive team, to work in conjunction with the UN, he said in January. The UN recently voted to authorize the board’s plan to rebuild Gaza through 2027. But it did not address other goals Trump has mentioned for the organization, including interventions in Ukraine, Nigeria, and Egypt.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Muncy’s report on the emerging future of the board and its work in Gaza.