TRUMP’S ‘BOARD OF PEACE’: 12 COUNTRIES FACE NEW US VISA RESTRICTIONS
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Nearly half of the countries represented on US President Donald Trump’s newly inaugurated ‘Board of Peace’ are currently subject to travel restrictions to the United States.
Trump signed the board’s charter on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, describing the body as potentially “one of the most consequential ever created.”
At the ceremony, officials from 19 countries—primarily from the Middle East, Asia, and South America—joined Trump on stage. These included Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Jordan, Argentina, Armenia, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Israel, Albania, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Belarus had agreed to join the board but were absent from the event.
However, some member countries face restrictions that prevent their officials from traveling freely to the United States. Last week, the US State Department directed consular officers to pause immigrant visa processing for 75 countries from January 21, pending a review of screening and vetting procedures, citing concerns over welfare dependence.
Affected board members include Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Jordan, Armenia, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Albania, and Belarus—totaling 12 of the peace board’s members. It remains unclear whether their participation in the initiative will affect the travel restrictions.
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Nigeria is also affected by the visa restrictions, though it was not invited to the board.
The initiative is part of Trump’s 20-point roadmap for peace in Gaza, originally drafted for Israel and Hamas in September 2025. The plan envisioned the board overseeing governance in Gaza, alongside a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee,” with Hamas excluded from any governing role.
The United Nations Security Council endorsed the plan in November 2025, and the board’s mandate has since been expanded to promote stability, peace, and governance in conflict-affected areas. Critics have raised concerns that the board could duplicate UN functions, an institution Trump has frequently criticized.
Under the charter, Trump will serve as chairman indefinitely. Member states will serve three-year terms, after which permanent seats may be purchased for $1 billion, with proceeds intended to fund Gaza’s reconstruction, according to a US official.
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