President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum [5] Jan. 7 directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change [6] and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [7].
The memorandum orders all executive departments and agencies to cease participation in and funding for 31 UN organizations and 35 other intergovernmental bodies that the administration says operate contrary to US interests. "Many of these bodies promote radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength," reads a White House fact sheet [13] accompanying the memorandum.
The White House said the withdrawals will end American taxpayer funding for entities that "advance globalist agendas over US priorities."
Among the targeted organizations are bodies focused on climate, gender equality, migration, democracy promotion, and international law, including the UN Entity for Gender Equality & the Empowerment of Women [14], the International Law Commission [15] and the International Institute for Democracy & Electoral Assistance [16].
The action follows a review [8] ordered earlier this year of all intergovernmental organizations to which the United States belongs or provides funding.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell called [9] the withdrawal "a colossal own goal" that will leave the US "less secure and less prosperous."
"While all other nations are stepping forward together, this latest step back from global leadership, climate cooperation and science can only harm the US economy, jobs and living standards," Stiell said in a statement.
Stiell noted that 194 countries affirmed [17] at last year's COP30 climate summit that the global energy transition is "irreversible," and said the doors remain open for the US to rejoin in the future.
The memorandum follows Trump's withdrawals from the Paris Climate Agreement [10], the World Health Organization [11] and the UN Human Rights Council [12].
From JURIST [18], Jan. 8. Used with permission.
See our last report on the UN climate process [19].
