New Zealand Rejects Trump's Invitation to Join the "Peace Council"

SadaNews - New Zealand rejected on Friday an invitation to participate in the "Peace Council" launched by U.S. President Donald Trump, thus joining a limited list of countries that have not accepted the offer.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement, "New Zealand will not join the council in its current form, but will continue to monitor developments."

He added, "Several countries, especially from the region, have expressed their willingness to contribute to the council's role regarding Gaza, and New Zealand would not add any significant value to that," according to the French Press Agency.

While many countries have expressed reservations, only a few have explicitly rejected the invitation, including France, Norway, and Croatia.

Peters made this decision in coordination with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour.

Wellington did not outright reject the idea of the council, but reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations.

Peters said, "We see a role for the Peace Council in Gaza, to be implemented in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2803."

He called for the work of the Peace Council to be "complementary to and consistent with the United Nations Charter," indicating that it is "a new body, and we need clarifications on this matter and on other issues related to the scope of its work, now and in the future."

Trump launched his "Peace Council" initiative during the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, joined on stage by leaders from 19 countries to sign its founding charter.

Although the primary goal of the council was to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, its charter does not seem to limit its role to the Palestinian territories.