Brazil’s Lula accuses Trump of seeking to forge ‘new UN’ with so-called Board of Peace
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Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) joins other world leaders who have avoided signing up for US President Donald Trump’s new global conflict resolution organisation.
PHOTOS: AFP
BRASILIA - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accused US President Donald Trump on Jan 23 of trying to create “a new UN” with his proposed Board of Peace.
The veteran leftist joins other world leaders who have avoided signing up for Mr Trump’s new global conflict resolution organisation, where a permanent seat costs US$1 billion (S$1.27 billion) and the chairman is Mr Trump himself.
“Instead of fixing” the United Nations, “what’s happening? President Trump is proposing to create a new UN where only he is the owner”, Mr Lula said.
Mr Trump unveiled his Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos on Jan 22, joined on stage by leaders and officials from 19 countries to sign its founding charter.
Mr Lula defended multilateralism against what he called “the law of the jungle” in global affairs.
His remarks come a day after he spoke by phone with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who urged his Brazilian counterpart to safeguard the “central role” of the UN in international affairs.
In his remarks on Jan 23, Mr Lula said “the UN charter is being torn”.
Although originally intended to oversee Gaza’s rebuilding, the board’s charter does not seem to limit its role to the Palestinian territory and appears to want to rival the UN.
Key US allies including France and Britain have also expressed doubts.
London baulked at the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces are fighting in Ukraine after invading in 2022.
France said the charter, as it currently stood, was “incompatible” with its international commitments, especially its UN membership. AFP
