President Donald Trump has ordered the United States to withdraw from 66 global organisations and treaties, including major climate and United Nations bodies, in a sweeping move critics say undermines international cooperation.
The White House said the decision targets organisations deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States,” with prominent inclusions such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), UNESCO, and the International Renewable Energy Agency. Officials cited concerns over what they described as “progressive ideology” driving global institutions and restricting American sovereignty.
The directive follows Trump’s longstanding opposition to international climate agreements, including his previous withdrawals from the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, as well as his cuts to U.S. funding for multiple UN agencies.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the White House in Washington, D.C., with Secretary of State Marco Rubio defending the move, saying, “From DEI mandates to ‘gender equity’ campaigns to climate orthodoxy, many international organisations now serve a globalist project.”
The decision has raised concerns among environmental and legal experts, with Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity arguing that “it’s illegal for the President to unilaterally pull out of a treaty that required two-thirds of the Senate vote.”
Critics also warn that withdrawing from the UNFCCC, the parent treaty for all major climate agreements, could fracture global climate efforts. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the action a “surrender of America’s leadership on the world stage,” while analysts warned it could create legal uncertainties for any future U.S. effort to rejoin the agreements.
Trump’s latest memorandum further directs withdrawal from the UN Oceans and UN Water agencies, UN Women, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), continuing a pattern of prioritising domestic policy over multilateral engagement.
