Vatican Opts Out of U.S.-Led Board of Peace
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin announced the decision Sunday during a bilateral meeting with Italian officials at Palazzo Borromeo, according to Vatican News. He attributed the refusal to the board's particular nature, which he indicated clearly diverges from that of ordinary states, and flagged several unresolved points he said remain perplexing and require further explanation.
Central to the Holy See's objections is a matter of institutional principle. Parolin stressed that international crisis management should, in the Vatican's firm view, be handled through the UN — a position Rome has consistently and publicly maintained.
The announcement marks a decisive shift from the Vatican's earlier, more measured stance. In January 2026, Holy See officials confirmed they had received a formal invitation and were still evaluating potential participation, while stressing the need to ensure full alignment with international law. That cautious openness has now given way to an outright refusal.
The Board of Peace was formally brought into existence on Jan. 22, 2026, during a charter signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. President Donald Trump, serving as chairman, ratified the founding document alongside member states drawn from the Middle East, Asia, parts of Europe, and Latin America. The body currently counts approximately 26 founding members, though some sources place total signatories closer to 35.
The board carries partial backing from UN Security Council Resolution 2803, specifically in relation to its Gaza mandate — though observers note that its apparent independence from comprehensive UN oversight remains a significant point of contention, and one the Vatican is not alone in scrutinizing.
No formal UN statement has been issued directly addressing the Vatican's latest concerns over the board's structure or its broader relationship to UN-led processes.
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