Winston Peters and Christopher Luxon rule out Donald Trump’s ‘board of peace’
Friday, 30 January 2026
New Zealand will not be joining US President Donald Trump’s “board of peace” in its current form, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced.
Luxon has faced questions on whether he would accept or reject the invitation to the controversial board throughout this week.
There has been widespread concern that the board - set up ostensibly to manage peace in Gaza - was an attempt to replace the role of the United Nations.
The board makes Trump chairman for life, gives him veto powers over all decisions, and required a US$1b (NZ$1.67b).
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In a very brief statement issued on Friday morning, Luxon said: “The Government has considered President Trump’s invitation and has decided not to join the Board of Peace in its current form.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters expanded on the decision-making in a post on X - saying New Zealand would not add value to the board and needed clarity on how it would complement the UN.
“New Zealand recognises the leadership of the United States, in close coordination with nations from the region, on advancing peace in Gaza. We see a role for the Board of Peace in Gaza, to be carried out as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 2803,” Peters said.
“A number of states, particularly from the region, have stepped up to contribute to the Board’s role on Gaza, and New Zealand would not add significant further value to that.”
“As a leading founder and longstanding supporter of the United Nations, it is important that the Board’s work is complementary to and consistent with the UN Charter. It is a new body, and we need clarity on this, and on other questions relating to its scope, now and in the future.”
The invitation to join the controversial board has already been rejected by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and several other nations New Zealand often allies itself to.
'Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we'll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,' Trump said of the board.
Both Labour and the Greens called on Luxon to reject the invitation earlier this week.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said it was an “absolute disgrace” that Luxon had not yet ruled out joining the board.
Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said it should not have taken so long for Luxon to decide.
“It says everything you need to know about Luxon’s Government that they spent weeks openly entertaining potentially spending a billion dollars of taxpayer money and installing Donald Trump as world CEO while members of Cabinet actively deny and exacerbate the climate crisis behind more frequent and severe extreme weather ravaging our regions.”