US President Donald Trump has ordered the country’s withdrawal from 66 global organisations which the White House says operate contrary to America’s national interests.
Of the 66 organisations, 31 are United Nations (UN) entities while 35 are non-UN affiliated.
The presidential declaration was signed Wednesday following a review directed at the state department earlier this year of all international intergovernmental organisations, conventions, and treaties that the US is a party to.
Trump directed all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to effect the country’s withdrawal from the organisations as soon as possible.
Notable among the organisations include the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
UNFPA promotes access to family planning, maternal healthcare, and efforts to end gender-based violence and harmful practices like child marriage. Historically, the US provided substantial funding to UNFPA for programmes in over 150 countries.
UNFCCC addresses global climate efforts and coordinates international action on climate change through annual COP meetings and agreements like the Paris Accord. Trump has repeatedly labelled climate change a “scam”.
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In a separate press statement, Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, said the Trump administration found these institutions to be “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas”.
“The days of billions of dollars in taxpayer money flowing to foreign interests at the expense of our people are over,” Rubio said.
Upon returning to office last January, Trump initiated the withdrawal of the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Weeks later, he signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibiting any future funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Near East (UNRWA).
Here is a full list of the 66 organisations the US has withdrawn from.
UN ORGANISATIONS
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
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
Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
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
UN University
NON-UN ORGANISATIONS
24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
Colombo Plan Council
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Education Cannot Wait
European Centre of Excellence for Countering
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
International Development Law Organization
International Energy Forum
International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law
International Lead and Zinc Study Group
International Renewable Energy Agency
International Solar Alliance
International Tropical Timber Organization
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Pan American Institute of Geography and History
Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation
Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia
Regional Cooperation Council
Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
Science and Technology Center in Ukraine
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.
