Trump administration withdraws from international organizations
The Trump administration recently announced withdrawals from numerous international organizations, primarily U.N.-affiliated bodies, as part of a broader retreat from global multilateralism.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 7, 2026, suspending U.S. support for 66 organizations, agencies, and commissions. The State Department justified these moves by labeling the entities as redundant, mismanaged, wasteful, or threats to U.S. sovereignty.
Specific Organizations Targeted
Withdrawals target U.N.-related groups focused on climate, labor, population, and diversity initiatives, including the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), World Health Organization (WHO), U.N. Human Rights Council, UNRWA (Palestinian refugees), and UNESCO. Earlier actions in 2025 also covered Paris Climate Agreement exit and WHO withdrawal via executive orders on Trump’s first day back in office.
This follows a February 2025 review order of all U.S. multilateral memberships and builds on first-term exits, shifting to selective U.N. engagement on issues like telecommunications where U.S. competes with China. Critics warn it hampers global cooperation on challenges like climate change and health.
