In a sweeping shift in US foreign policy, President Donald Trump has announced plans to withdraw the United States from dozens of United Nations and international organisations, cutting funding and redefining Washington’s engagement with global institutions on climate, health, democracy, and human rights.
United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to withdraw the US from 66 United Nations and international organisations, marking one of the most far-reaching rollbacks of multilateral engagement in modern American history. The decision was outlined in a presidential memorandum released by the White House on Wednesday evening.
According to the memorandum, the move followed a review of which “organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States”. Trump said the changes would see the US completely cease participation in the listed bodies and terminate all related funding.
The White House list includes 35 non UN organisations, among them the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. While the White House classified the IPCC as a non UN body, it is in fact a UN affiliated scientific organisation that brings together leading experts to assess climate change evidence and provide authoritative reports to guide policymakers.
In addition, the administration confirmed it would withdraw from 31 UN entities. These include the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN Democracy Fund, and the UN Population Fund, which plays a central role in maternal and child health programs worldwide. Several of the targeted bodies focus on protecting vulnerable populations during armed conflict, including the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict.
In a note issued to correspondents, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the organisation expected to respond formally to the announcement by Thursday morning.
Despite Trump’s stated desire to reduce US involvement in UN forums, his administration has continued to exert significant influence on international decision making. In October last year, Trump threatened sanctions against diplomats who supported a levy on polluting shipping fuels, a move that effectively stalled the agreement for a year.
The administration has also sanctioned UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese after she published a report documenting the role of international and US companies in Israel’s war on Gaza. During his first term, Trump similarly threatened to cut aid to countries that supported a UN resolution condemning the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US retains substantial power, including veto authority. This power was repeatedly used to block efforts to end Israel’s war on Gaza before the US later helped mediate a ceasefire.
Since beginning his second term in January last year, Trump has already withdrawn the US from the World Health Organization, the Paris climate agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council. These same withdrawals occurred during his first presidency but were later reversed under former President Joe Biden.
The US exit from the WHO is scheduled to take effect on January 22, 2026. Between 2024 and 2025, the US contributed $261 million to the organisation, roughly 18 percent of its total funding, supporting global efforts against diseases such as tuberculosis and pandemics including COVID 19. The administration has also continued a funding ban on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
