President Donald Trump has announced plans for the United States to withdraw from 66 United Nations and international organizations, including major bodies focused on climate change, peace, democracy, and global health.
The move marks one of the largest pullbacks from international cooperation in recent US history.
In a presidential memorandum released Wednesday evening, Trump stated the review identified “organizations, conventions, and treaties that are contrary to the interests of the United States.” He said the US would cease participation and cut all funding to the affected entities.
The White House list includes:
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35 non-UN bodies, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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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.
UN responds to announcement
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the organization expected to respond formally to the announcement by Thursday morning.
Experts noted that the IPCC, although listed as a non-UN body by the White House, is a UN-affiliated organization that assesses climate change evidence and informs political decision-making worldwide.
Trump’s history of international withdrawals
Since the start of his second term in January 2025, Trump has already withdrawn the US from:
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World Health Organization (WHO)
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Paris Climate Agreement
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UN Human Rights Council
All three organizations had also been targeted during Trump’s first administration but were later reinstated by President Joe Biden.
The US withdrawal from WHO will take effect on January 22, 2026, one year after the White House first ordered it. Between 2024 and 2025, the US contributed $261 million, roughly 18% of the organization’s total funding.
Implications for international cooperation
Trump’s decision continues a broader pattern of US disengagement from global governance frameworks, including:
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Imposing sanctions on UN special rapporteurs and diplomats.
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Threatening countries over UN votes regarding Israel.
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Blocking climate agreements, such as shipping fuel levies, through diplomatic pressure.
The withdrawal also affects funding bans, such as the ongoing US restriction on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which started under Biden.
