The Vatican has formally declined an earlier invitation from the United States to join the multinational Board of Peace.
According to the Vatican Secretary of State, the Holy See decided not to participate, saying certain nature of the board does not align with that of other States.
“…will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State said.
The Board of Peace was created under a US-led peace framework initially aimed at overseeing the reconstruction of Gaza following the war between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
However, its mandate has since expanded.
US President Donald Trump has said the board is also intended to help address broader conflicts, particularly in the Middle East region.
Thus, the Vatican indicated that several aspects of the initiative remain unclear and require further explanation.
Among its key positions is the view that the United Nations should take the lead role in managing international crises of this scale.
“…at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted.” Parolin reiterated.
It can be recalled that the Board of Peace was formally endorsed last year through a resolution at the United Nations Security Council.
In response to the Vatican’s decision, Washington described the announcement as “deeply unfortunate.”
So far, 25 countries have officially joined the Board of Peace, while the initiative remains open to other nations invited by Washington.