US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a sweeping decision to pull the United States out of dozens of international organizations, including many affiliated with the United Nations, signaling a renewed retreat from multilateral cooperation on issues ranging from climate change to agriculture.
The White House disclosed that Washington will withdraw from a total of 66 international bodies, 31 of which are connected to the United Nations system.
In an official statement, the administration said the withdrawals will be accompanied by a complete halt in funding, arguing that the affected organizations act against America’s national interests, security, economic well-being, and sovereignty.
The White House accused many of the bodies of advancing what it described as radical climate agendas, global governance frameworks, and ideological initiatives that undermine US sovereignty and economic power.
Reacting to the move, Richard Gowan, UN Director at the International Crisis Group, said the decision reflects a broader US disengagement from institutions that support international law, development, environmental collaboration, and gender equality.
Gowan noted that since Trump’s return to office last year, his administration has increasingly portrayed development and environmental cooperation as quasi-socialist policies, while strongly opposing global efforts aimed at advancing gender rights.
Among the high-profile exits is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s leading scientific authority on climate research and policy advice.
The US will also withdraw from the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which played a key role in shaping the 2018 UN migration compact—an agreement the Trump administration previously rejected, citing concerns over national sovereignty.
Additionally, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the primary global agency for reproductive health and rights, was included in the list. Trump had cut all US funding to the agency during his first term amid criticism that it promotes abortion.
Several lesser-known organizations are also affected, including the International Cotton Advisory Committee, a nearly 90-year-old body established in Washington to support cotton-producing nations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the decision, stating that many international organizations serve a globalist agenda rooted in what he called the “discredited fantasy” of the end of history, adding that their underlying purpose is to limit American sovereignty.