Kathmandu, January 8
The United States has withdrawn from 66 international organisations, a move that will halt US funding and support to those bodies.
According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed decisions to withdraw from 35 non-United Nations organisations and 31 UN-affiliated bodies.
The White House said the decision was taken because these organisations were operating “against US national interests.”
The White House has not released a list of the organisations concerned. However, reports say that the non-UN bodies include major environmental organisations such as the International Solar Alliance, led by India and France, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The US has also withdrawn from UN-related bodies, including the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Law Commission, the International Trade Centre, the Peacebuilding Commission, UN Energy, and the UN Population Fund.
The US has accused these institutions of promoting “radical climate policies, global governance systems, and ideological agendas incompatible with American sovereignty and economic power.”
The White House said the decision followed a review of all international intergovernmental organisations, conferences, and treaties in which the United States holds membership or is a party.
“Withdrawing from these organisations will stop US taxpayer money from supporting globalist agendas. Funds that previously went to institutions that address critical issues in an inefficient or arrogant manner can now be used in other ways,” the statement said.
According to Reuters, the White House has not immediately responded to requests for further details on the list of organisations.
Since beginning his second term, Trump has pursued a policy of reducing US financial contributions to various UN bodies.
NBC News reported that the US has announced its withdrawal from 66 international organisations as part of its continued pullback from global cooperation. Most of these are UN-affiliated bodies, commissions, and advisory committees working on issues such as climate, labour, and migration.
The Trump administration has accused these institutions of promoting “diversity” and “woke” initiatives, referring to efforts aimed at addressing social injustice, discrimination, and inequality.
With this decision, the administration will exit dozens of international organisations, including UN population agencies and agreements that form the basis of international climate negotiations.
According to the White House, the decision followed a review of US participation and funding in all international organisations, including those affiliated with the UN.
The list also includes non-UN bodies such as the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.
In a statement, the US State Department said these organisations were found to be “unnecessary, poorly managed, wasteful, and a threat to US sovereignty and independence.”
Previously, the Trump administration had already suspended funding to the World Health Organization, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the Human Rights Council, and UNESCO.
The decision to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is the latest step in Trump’s opposition to climate policies. The 1992 convention formed the basis of the historic Paris Agreement. Trump has repeatedly described climate change as a “hoax.”
Former White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy called the move “short-sighted and shameful,” saying it has dismantled decades of US leadership by making the country the only one in the world to withdraw from the agreement.
Other organisations the US is leaving include the United Nations University, the International Cotton Advisory Committee, the International Tropical Timber Organization, and the International Lead and Zinc Study Group.
The State Department said reviews of additional organisations are still ongoing.
