President Donald Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum ordering the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organizations, marking the most sweeping retreat from global cooperation in American history. The directive targets 35 non-United Nations organizations and 31 UN entities, effectively ending American taxpayer funding and participation in bodies the administration says advance globalist agendas over U.S. priorities.
The withdrawals include several high-profile organizations focused on climate, gender equality, and global health. Among the most significant departures is from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), described by experts as the "bedrock" climate treaty and the parent agreement to the 2015 Paris climate accord. The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement itself will take effect on January 27, 2026.
The United States will also exit UN Women, which works for gender equality worldwide, and the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), the agency focused on family planning and maternal and child health in more than 150 countries. Other organizations affected include the Carbon Free Energy Compact, the United Nations University, the International Cotton Advisory Committee, and the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies.
The White House characterized these withdrawals as ending involvement in entities that are "contrary to the interests of the United States." The decision follows a review ordered earlier this year of all international intergovernmental organizations, conventions, and treaties that the United States is a member of or party to.
The U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), one of the first international exits announced by Trump after returning to office in January 2025, is set to come into effect on January 22, 2026. Between 2024 and 2025, the U.S. contributed $261 million in funding to the WHO, amounting to approximately 18 percent of the organization's total funding.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from international observers and some European allies. Thirty-seven members of the European Parliament sent a joint letter to EU leaders urging the European Union to condemn what they called an unprecedented retreat from multilateralism. "The United Nations will continue its work whether the U.S. is there or not," said Peter Yeo of the Better World Campaign. "The real question is who fills the vacuum. Too often, it's countries that do not share American priorities or values."
Since beginning his second term, Trump has already withdrawn the U.S. from the WHO, the Paris climate agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council. All three withdrawals were also executed during his first administration but were later reversed by the Biden administration. This latest round of exits represents a significant escalation of Trump's "America First" foreign policy approach.
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