US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, saying they no longer serve US national interests.
A presidential memorandum signed by Trump directs federal departments and agencies to end participation in and funding for 31 United Nations entities and 35 non-UN organizations “as soon as possible.”
The White House said the organizations operate contrary to US national interests, security, economic prosperity, or sovereignty.
Many of the organizations affected are active in areas such as the environment and climate policy or gender equality.
“President Trump is ending U.S. participation in international organizations that undermine America’s independence and waste tax payer dollars on ineffective or hostile agendas,” the White House said in a statement.
Trump’s order did not specify how much money the US administration expects to save through the withdrawals.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that Washington was pulling out of what he described as “anti-American, useless, or wasteful international organizations.” He added that a review of additional international organizations was continuing.
Climate and democracy groups on Trump’s list
The list includes the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, which promotes democratic transitions worldwide.
Numerous UN bodies are also affected, including the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which deals with issues such as population, poverty and international trade policy, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The UN, headquartered in New York, did not immediately respond to the US announcement and said a statement was planned for Thursday.
Trump is approaching the first anniversary of his second term as US president, a period marked by his “America First” strategy. He has repeatedly criticized that the US pays for other countries while receiving little in return.
The US president has used this argument not only with international organizations but also in trade policy and with NATO allies to push for changes that benefit the United States.
Since returning to office, Trump has moved to pull the US out of several international frameworks, including the World Health Organization and the UN cultural agency UNESCO.
