United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to withdraw the country from a total of 66 United Nations agencies and international organisations, signalling a major shift in Washington’s global engagement.
Trump said the decision would also involve pulling the US out of key platforms focused on climate change, peace, and democracy. According to a presidential memorandum released by the White House, the move followed a review of international organisations, conventions, and treaties deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States.”
As part of the decision, the US will end its participation in the affected bodies and halt all related funding.
The list published by the White House includes 35 non-UN organisations, among them the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Although classified as a non-UN body in the White House document, the IPCC is a United Nations-backed organisation that brings together leading scientists to assess climate change evidence and provide scientific guidance to policymakers. The administration also announced plans to withdraw from 31 UN entities, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Democracy Fund, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which focuses on maternal and child health.
Several of the targeted UN agencies are involved in protecting vulnerable groups during armed conflicts, including the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organisation was aware of the announcement and expected to respond by Thursday.
Despite Trump’s public stance against extensive US involvement in UN forums, his administration has continued to exert influence on international decision-making. In October last year, Trump threatened sanctions against diplomats who supported a proposed levy on polluting shipping fuels, effectively delaying the agreement for a year.
The administration also imposed sanctions on UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese after she released a report examining the role of US and international companies in Israel’s war on Gaza. In 2017, during his first term, Trump similarly threatened to cut aid to countries that backed a UN resolution condemning the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US retains significant influence, including veto power. This authority has been used repeatedly to block resolutions aimed at ending Israel’s war on Gaza before a ceasefire was eventually brokered late last year.
Since beginning his second term in January last year, Trump has already withdrawn the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Paris Climate Agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council. Similar withdrawals occurred during his first administration but were later reversed under former President Joe Biden.
The US exit from the WHO is scheduled to take effect on January 22, 2026, one year after the withdrawal order was signed. Between 2024 and 2025, the US contributed $261 million to the WHO, accounting for about 18 percent of the organisation’s funding for global health initiatives, including efforts to combat tuberculosis and pandemics such as COVID-19.
In addition, the Trump administration has maintained a funding ban on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, a policy that began under the Biden administration.
