US President Donald Trump has announced plans to withdraw the United States from 66 United Nations and international organisations, including key forums addressing climate change, peace, democracy, and human rights. In a presidential memorandum, Trump stated that the decision follows a review of “organizations, conventions, and treaties” deemed contrary to US interests, and that the US will cease participation and cut all funding to the affected entities.
The White House list includes 35 non-UN organisations, notably the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. While the IPCC was listed as a non-UN body, it is in fact a UN organisation that compiles scientific assessments to inform global climate policy. Additionally, the US plans to withdraw from 31 UN entities, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Democracy Fund, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the UN Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict.
Trump’s administration has previously demonstrated its willingness to influence international decision-making, including threatening sanctions against diplomats over shipping fuel levies and against a UN special rapporteur investigating corporate roles in the conflict in Gaza. In 2017, he also threatened aid cuts to countries supporting a UN resolution condemning the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US wields veto power, which it has used repeatedly in conflicts such as Israel’s war in Gaza.
Since starting his second term in January 2025, Trump has already withdrawn the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Paris Climate Agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council, repeating actions taken during his first administration that were later reversed by President Biden. The withdrawal from the WHO will take effect on January 22, 2026, one year after the White House order. Between 2024 and 2025, the US contributed $261 million to WHO, representing about 18% of its funding for global health initiatives, including pandemic response and disease prevention.
The Trump administration has also maintained a funding ban on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), continuing a policy initiated under the Biden administration. These moves mark a significant shift in US engagement with international organisations and signal a continued strategy of reducing participation and funding in multilateral institutions.
