The Vatican has said that it will not be joining the Board of Peace, an international body set up by Donald Trump to aid in the reconstruction of Gaza.
It was recently announced that the several Board countries would be contributing over seven billion dollars to relief efforts in Gaza, which has been devastated by its war with Israel.
Despite this, concerns have been raised about some of the members of the Board. Christian Solidarity Worldwide has questioned the presence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the Board, saying the country is complicit in promoting the ongoing civil war in Sudan.
The UAE has denied claims that it is providing assistance to the Rapid Support Forces, a group which has been accused of carrying out atrocities against civilians.
The Vatican, despite its long history of peace-making efforts, has said it will not be joining the Board, and that the UN should be given the lead in managing crises such as the one in Gaza.
Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, said, “[The Vatican] will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States.”
Parolin has himself offered to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and has been involved in facilitating prisoner exchanges between the two countries.
He was speaking at a meeting with the Italian government and also gave his bleak assessment of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"Regarding Ukraine, there is considerable pessimism. On both sides it does not seem to us that there are real advances regarding peace, and it is tragic that after four years, we still find ourselves at this point," he said.
"One hopes that these dialogues may produce some progress, but it seems to me that there is not much hope and not many expectations.”
