New Zealand has decided not to join the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump, despite receiving a formal invitation from Washington.
The decision was announced by New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who said the country was not ready to join the body in its current form.
The Board of Peace was launched by Trump last week with the initial goal of strengthening the ceasefire in Gaza, before expanding to a larger role involving global security issues and conflicts.
Since its establishment, Trump has invited dozens of world leaders to join the board.
Several Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed to be involved, as have major developing countries such as Indonesia.
However, world powers and traditional US allies from the Western bloc are seen as more cautious and taking a wait-and-see approach.
According to Luxon, New Zealand decided not to join the board 'in its current form', indicating concerns about the clarity of the role, structure and long-term direction of the Board of Peace.
This view was also supported by New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, who explained that most countries directly involved in the Gaza conflict had already come forward to contribute.
Therefore, he said, New Zealand's participation would not provide significant added value at this stage.
More importantly, Peters stressed that New Zealand is a founding and long-standing supporter of the United Nations (UN).
In this regard, any international peace initiative must be in line with and complement the UN Charter, rather than overlapping or contradicting the role of the global institution.
This is a new body, and according to Peters, clarity is urgently needed not only regarding its current role, but also regarding its scope and future direction.
New Zealand's decision does not mean that the country is rejecting global peace efforts, but rather reflects a principled and cautious approach to diplomacy, especially when it involves a new international body whose effectiveness has yet to be tested.
