The Trump administration is set to pull out of numerous international organizations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty governing global climate negotiations, as part of a broader disengagement from global cooperation. President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting support for 66 organizations, agencies, and commissions, following a directive to reassess U.S. involvement and funding in international bodies, particularly those associated with the United Nations. Most of the entities targeted are UN-affiliated bodies focusing on climate, labor, and diversity issues deemed by the administration as aligned with “woke” agendas.
Apart from UN entities, the list also includes non-UN groups like the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum. The State Department stated that these institutions were perceived as duplicative, mismanaged, wasteful, or posing a threat to U.S. sovereignty and prosperity.
The move to withdraw from organizations promoting global collaboration on pressing issues coincides with recent U.S. military actions and threats that have unsettled both allies and adversaries. Notably, the administration had previously halted support for bodies such as the World Health Organization, UNRWA, the UN Human Rights Council, and UNESCO, opting to selectively fund UN initiatives that align with the administration’s priorities.
The decision represents a departure from past U.S. approaches to multilateralism, prompting the UN to make staffing and program adjustments. The U.S. officials, while emphasizing the importance of the UN, express a preference for directing funds towards initiatives that bolster American influence in areas of competition with China, such as the International Telecommunications Union and the International Labor Organization.
In a related move, the U.S. will exit the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), continuing its divergence from global climate-focused organizations. The UNFCCC, integral to the Paris climate agreement, aims to support climate action in developing nations. With the U.S. withdrawing from the agreement under Trump’s administration, critics like former White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy have condemned the decision as shortsighted and detrimental to global climate efforts.
The U.S. withdrawal from climate-focused organizations could impede global efforts to combat greenhouse gas emissions, potentially delaying progress in addressing climate change. Experts highlight the significance of U.S. cooperation in tackling climate change, given its status as a major emitter and economic powerhouse. Additionally, the decision to quit the UN’s population agency, a provider of sexual and reproductive health services globally, has drawn Republican opposition over allegations of supporting coercive abortion practices, a claim refuted by a subsequent State Department review.
The State Department has indicated that further reviews of U.S. involvement in international organizations are ongoing.
