US President Trump to withdraw from multiple international organizations

US President Donald Trump Announces Withdrawal from Major International Organizations

In a presidential memorandum shared by the White House on Wednesday evening, President Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from 66 major international organizations, including forums for cooperation on climate change, peace, and democracy. The decision was made after a review of which organizations “are contrary to the interests of the United States”.

The list includes 35 non-UN organizations, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Additionally, the US will cease participation in 31 UN entities, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Democracy Fund.

The White House stated that all funding to affected entities will be cut off. The announcement is expected to prompt a response from the United Nations by Thursday morning.

This move follows previous actions taken by President Trump, who has withdrawn the US from several international organizations during his second term, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Paris climate agreement, and the UN human rights council. In some cases, these withdrawals were later reversed by the administration of former US President Joe Biden.

The list of affected organizations includes entities focused on protecting at-risk groups from violence during wars, such as the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict. The US has also imposed sanctions on UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese and threatened to impose sanctions on diplomats who adopted a levy on polluting shipping fuels.

The announcement is expected to have significant implications for global cooperation on issues such as climate change, peace, and democracy.

Source: Al Jazeera