New Zealand has declined an invitation to join the Peace Council launched by US President Donald Trump, becoming one of a small number of countries to formally turn down the proposal.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Friday that Wellington would not join the council in its current form but would continue to monitor developments. He added that several countries, particularly from the region, had already expressed readiness to contribute to the council’s role in Gaza, and that New Zealand would add little additional value at this stage.
While many countries have voiced reservations about the initiative, only a few have explicitly rejected the invitation, including France, Norway and Croatia.
The decision was taken in coordination with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, according to the foreign minister’s statement.
Peters stressed that New Zealand was not rejecting the idea of the Peace Council outright and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the United Nations. He said Wellington sees a potential role for the council in Gaza if it operates in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.
He added that any work carried out by the Peace Council should complement and be consistent with the UN Charter, noting that the body is new and that New Zealand requires further clarity on its mandate, scope and future role.
Trump unveiled the Peace Council initiative during the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, where leaders from 19 countries joined him on stage to sign its founding charter. While the council was presented primarily as a mechanism to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, its charter does not appear to limit its mandate exclusively to the Palestinian territories.
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