Trump plans US withdrawal from 66 UN and international organisations

Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
4h ago
US President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from 66 UN and international organisations and to cut all funding to the affected entities.
Trump plans US withdrawal from 66 UN and international organisations
A What happened
Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw the United States from 66 UN and international organisations and to cut all funding to the affected entities. The White House list included 35 non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities, including the UNFCCC, the UN Democracy Fund, and UNFPA. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN expected to respond by Thursday morning. The Trump administration has already withdrawn the US from the WHO, the Paris climate agreement, and the UN Human Rights Council, and the WHO withdrawal is set to take effect on January 22, 2026.

Key insights

  • 1

    Funding cuts are part of the planned withdrawals: Trump said the US would cease participation and cut all funding to the affected entities.

  • 2

    The US has used sanctions and aid threats in UN-related disputes: Trump threatened sanctions over a shipping-fuel levy, imposed sanctions on UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, and threatened to cut aid from countries supporting a UN resolution on Jerusalem.

  • 3

    The WHO withdrawal has a stated effective date and recent US funding level: The WHO withdrawal is set to take effect on January 22, 2026, and the US contributed $261m to the WHO between 2024 and 2025, about 18 percent of its funding.

Takeaways

Trump’s White House has set out a plan to withdraw the United States from 66 UN and international organisations and to end US funding for the targeted entities.

Topics

Health & Medicine Public Health World & Politics International Affairs Diplomacy Climate & Environment Climate Change

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