Washington, Jan 9: President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organisations, including 31 United Nations bodies and 35 non-UN institutions, saying they are redundant, mismanaged and contrary to American interests.Trump signed a memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to immediately end US participation in or funding for the listed organisations, to the extent allowed by law.
The White House said the institutions undermine US sovereignty, security and economic prosperity.
Among the organisations affected are the India-France-led International Solar Alliance, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Women, the UN Population Fund, the UN Conference on Trade and Development and several UN peacebuilding and development bodies.
The International Solar Alliance has more than 100 signatory countries, with over 90 full members.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the organisations had become wasteful, poorly run and ideologically driven, accusing them of advancing “globalist” agendas focused on climate policy, gender equity and diversity initiatives.
He argued that what began as a practical system for international cooperation had evolved into an expansive structure of global governance detached from national interests.
Rubio said the US would no longer spend taxpayer money on institutions that, in his view, work against American priorities or values.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Washington would no longer fund or participate in international bodies that fail to serve US interests or actively oppose them.
A UN spokesperson said the organisation was reviewing the list of withdrawals and would issue a response.
The decision reflects Trump’s long-standing hostility toward multilateral institutions.
Shortly after beginning his second term, he ordered the US to withdraw again from the Paris climate agreement, halted participation in the UN Human Rights Council, suspended funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and launched a review of US membership in UNESCO.
Trump has repeatedly criticised the UN as ineffective, arguing it fails to translate words into meaningful action on global conflicts and security challenges.