By Enyichukwu Enemanna
President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of US membership from 31 organisations of the United Nations and 35 other international organisations where Washington is also providing funding support.
“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct: Section 1. Purpose. (a) On February 4, 2025, I issued Executive Order 14199 (Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations),” a presidential memorandum shared by the White House on Wednesday evening stated.
The White House said the decision came after a review of which “organisations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States”.
At least 66 organisations were affected, especially those focused on achieving global peace, improving security, advancing democracy, promoting education and literacy, and protecting the climate.
The February 4, 2025 executive order according to Trump directs the Secretary of State to conduct a review of all international intergovernmental organisations of which the U.S. is a member and provides any type of funding or other support, and all conventions and treaties to which the American nation is a party, to determine which organisations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States.
Bodies which the Washington is taking exit from include, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa, ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, International Law Commission, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, International Trade Centre, Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Peacebuilding Commission, Peacebuilding Fund, and Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
Others are UN Alliance of Civilizations, UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries, UN Conference on Trade and Development, UN Democracy Fund, UN Energy, UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Human Settlements Programme, UN Institute for Training and Research, UN Oceans, UN Population Fund, UN Register of Conventional Arms, UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, UN System Staff College, UN Water, and UN University.
Trump also ordered U.S. withdrawal from 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact, Colombo Plan Council, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Education Cannot Wait, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories, Freedom Online Coalition, Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, Global Counterterrorism Forum, Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, Global Forum on Migration and Development, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, International Cotton Advisory Committee, and International Development Law Organisation, and several others.
