India marked its presence at the inaugural working session of the Gaza ‘Board of Peace’, an initiative spearheaded by US President Donald Trump, by participating as an observer nation. The meeting took place on February 19, 2026, in Washington DC, with India represented by senior diplomat Namgya C Khampa.
Khampa currently serves as the Charge d’Affaires (CDA) and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in the United States. In the absence of a permanent ambassador, she heads the Indian mission and oversees key aspects of India-US bilateral engagement.
Although India had chosen not to attend the formal launch of the Board during the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, its participation in the first operational meeting signals a measured diplomatic engagement with the initiative. The Board of Peace has been positioned as a platform to promote long-term stability in Gaza, coordinate reconstruction efforts, and potentially address broader international conflicts.
Who Is Namgya C Khampa?
A 2000-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, Namgya C Khampa brings over two decades of diplomatic experience to her current role in Washington. Over the course of her career, she has handled critical assignments across multiple regions and multilateral institutions.
She served two separate terms in China, first between 2002 and 2006 and later from 2013 to 2016, reflecting her expertise in managing complex bilateral relationships. From 2009 to 2013, she was posted at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. During this period, she was elected to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), a significant UN body overseeing financial governance matters.
Khampa has also held regional leadership positions, including serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Kathmandu, where she managed India’s diplomatic ties with Nepal.
Before her current assignment in Washington, she served as India’s High Commissioner to Kenya. In that capacity, she worked to deepen trade and development cooperation between the two nations. She was simultaneously accredited as India’s Ambassador to Somalia, where she oversaw India’s strategic and diplomatic engagement in the Horn of Africa.
Her selection to represent India at the Gaza Board of Peace meeting underscores her standing as a seasoned diplomat capable of navigating complex geopolitical environments.
About the ‘Board of Peace’
The Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ was formally unveiled by President Trump during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Initially conceived as a mechanism to oversee the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, facilitate reconstruction in Gaza, and support governance frameworks, the initiative has since been projected as a broader conflict-resolution platform.
Reports suggest that President Trump chairs the board with an open-ended tenure and aims to expand its scope beyond Gaza to address other global disputes. While its long-term structure and influence remain under discussion, India’s observer participation reflects its continued interest in engaging with multilateral initiatives focused on regional stability and global peace efforts.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
