United States President Donald Trump has ordered a sweeping withdrawal of the country from 66 United Nations agencies and international organisations, a step that would sharply reduce America’s role in global cooperation on climate, democracy, and peace initiatives.
The directive was contained in a presidential memorandum released by the White House on Wednesday evening. Trump said the decision followed a review of international organisations, treaties, and conventions found to be inconsistent with US national interests. Under the plan, the US will end its participation in the affected bodies and immediately stop funding them.
Of the organisations listed, 35 are classified as non-UN bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Despite being listed as non-UN, the IPCC operates under the UN system and is responsible for providing scientific assessments on climate change to guide global policymakers.
The memorandum also covers 31 UN entities, among them the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN Democracy Fund, and the UN Population Fund, which focuses on maternal and child health. Several of the targeted agencies are involved in protecting vulnerable populations during armed conflicts, including the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict.
In response, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the organisation was preparing an official reaction, expected to be issued by Thursday morning.
While Trump has repeatedly argued that the US should scale back its involvement in multilateral institutions, he has continued to exert significant influence on international decision-making processes.
