WHITE HOUSE, 8th January -US President Donald Trump has officially withdrawn the United States from 66 international organisations, treaties, and conventions which also include 31 United Nations entities, and 35 non-UN bodies, as part of his “America First” policy.
The directive, issued in a presidential memorandum on January 7, 2026, follows a year-long review of organisations deemed contrary to US national interests, security, economic prosperity, or sovereignty.
The memo instructs all executive departments and agencies to “take immediate steps” to end U.S. membership, participation, and funding for the listed bodies “as soon as possible.” The action is billed as a necessary corrective to global engagements that the administration has determined run “contrary to the interests of the United States.”
The swoop targets exit from Climate and Environment organizations such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the bedrock of the Paris Agreement, along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and the UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions (REDD+).
The withdrawal cuts deep into the UN’s structure, targeting major agencies like UN Women, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). It also seeks to end US involvement in the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Economic and Social Council’s regional commissions, and even training bodies like the UN Institute for Training and Research.
In Security and Governance, the memo orders a retreat from forums like the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Freedom Online Coalition, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. It also targets the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and the Venice Commission, a key Council of Europe body on constitutional law.
Withdrawals include the International Cotton Advisory Committee, the International Development Law Organisation, and the International Tropical Timber Organisation, which belongs to the Economic and Developmental Groups.
The move implements findings from a review mandated by Executive Order 14199, which the president signed on February 4, 2025. That order commanded the Secretary of State to scrutinise all international memberships and treaties to identify those not serving U.S. interests.
“The Secretary of State has reported his findings,” the new memorandum states. “I have considered the… report and, after deliberating with my Cabinet, have determined that it is contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to the organisations listed.”
The directive includes notable caveats such as the implementation must be “consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.”
For UN entities, it defines withdrawal as “ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law,” suggesting a potential legislative and legal battle ahead.
The memorandum also states it does not create any enforceable legal rights for outside parties and shields the administration from lawsuits related to the action.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio is tasked with providing implementation guidance to agencies and publishing the full memorandum in the Federal Register. The document concludes by noting that the review of other international commitments “remains ongoing,” signalling that further withdrawals may be forthcoming.
Whereas supporters claim it saves taxpayer money and refocuses resources on US priorities, critics argue this move will weaken global cooperation on climate change, public health, and development.
