The Trump administration is set to pull out from numerous international organizations, such as the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty governing global climate negotiations, as part of the U.S.’s continued move away from international collaboration.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending backing for 66 organizations, agencies, and commissions after directing a comprehensive review of U.S. participation in and funding for international bodies, including those linked to the United Nations, as per a statement from the White House shared on social media.
Many of the entities being targeted are UN-affiliated agencies, commissions, and advisory groups focusing on climate, labor, and other areas the Trump administration has labeled as promoting diversity and “woke” initiatives.
The State Department stated, “The Trump administration has determined these institutions to be redundant, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly operated, influenced by parties pursuing their own agendas against U.S. interests, or as posing threats to the nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and overall prosperity.”
This move to withdraw from organizations fostering global cooperation to tackle worldwide challenges coincides with the administration’s military actions and threats that have unsettled both allies and foes, including the capture of Venezuela’s autocratic leader Nicolás Maduro and hints at a potential acquisition of Greenland.
The administration has previously halted support for entities like the World Health Organization, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the UN Human Rights Council, and UNESCO. It has adopted a selective approach to paying dues to international bodies, choosing which activities and agencies align with Trump’s priorities and which no longer serve U.S. interests.
Daniel Forti, head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group, remarked, “What we’re witnessing is the crystallization of the U.S. stance on multilateralism, which is ‘my way or the highway.'” This represents a significant departure from the approaches of past Republican and Democratic administrations towards the UN, prompting the world body to make staff and program cuts in response.
Various independent non-governmental organizations, some collaborating with the UN, have reported project closures due to the U.S. administration’s decision last year to reduce foreign aid through USAID.
Despite the shift, U.S. officials, including Trump, claim to acknowledge the UN’s potential and aim to concentrate taxpayer funds on expanding American influence in UN initiatives that compete with China, such as the International Telecommunications Union, the International Maritime Organization, and the International Labor Organization.
The withdrawal from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change marks the latest effort by Trump and his allies to distance the U.S. from international bodies focusing on climate and environmental issues.
The UNFCCC, a pact signed by 198 nations in 1992 to support climate action in developing countries, underpins the Paris climate agreement. Trump, a climate change skeptic, withdrew from the agreement shortly after taking office.
Critics, including Gina McCarthy, former White House national climate adviser, have condemned the decision as “shortsighted, embarrassing, and foolish,” noting the U.S.’s abandonment of its leadership role in global climate efforts.
Experts warn that without U.S. cooperation, global efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions could suffer setbacks, as the U.S. is among the top emitters and economies worldwide.
The administration’s decision to withdraw from the UN’s population agency, accused by some Republicans of supporting coercive abortion practices, aligns with its broader strategy to disengage from international bodies deemed contrary to U.S. interests.
Upon assuming office in 2021, President Joe Biden reinstated funding for the agency after a State Department review found no substantiation for the allegations.
In addition to the mentioned organizations, the U.S. will also exit the Carbon Free Energy Compact, the United Nations University, the International Cotton Advisory Committee, the International Tropical Timber Organization, and several others, with ongoing reviews being conducted, as per the State Department.