U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States would withdraw from dozens of international and United Nations entities, claiming they "operate contrary to U.S. national interests."
The decision targets 35 non-UN groups and 31 UN entities, including a crucial climate treaty and a UN body promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. Among these is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, widely considered the "bedrock" climate treaty and parent agreement to the 2015 Paris climate deal.
This move follows the United States' absence from the annual UN international climate summit last year, marking the first time in three decades.
"The United States would be the first country to walk away from the UNFCCC," said Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
"Every other nation is a member, in part because they recognize that even beyond the moral imperative of addressing climate change, having a seat at the table in those negotiations represents an ability to shape massive economic policy and opportunity," said Bapna.
The U.S. will also quit UN Women, which works for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), the international body's agency focused on family planning as well as maternal and child health in more than 150 countries. The U.S. cut its funding for the UNFPA last year.
"For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law," reads the memo. Trump has already largely slashed voluntary funding to most U.N. agencies.
A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump's move reflects his long-standing wariness of multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations. He has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness, cost and accountability of international bodies, arguing they often fail to serve U.S. interests.
Since beginning his second term a year ago, Trump has sought to slash U.S. funding for the United Nations, stopped U.S. engagement with the U.N. Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and quit the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO. He has also announced plans to quit the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement.
Other entities on the U.S. list are the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, the International Energy Forum, the U.N. Register of Conventional Arms and the U.N. Peacebuilding Commission.
The White House said the dozens of entities that Washington was seeking to depart as soon as possible promote "radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with U.S. sovereignty and economic strength."
It said the move is part of a review of all international intergovernmental organizations, conventions and treaties.
"These withdrawals will end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over U.S. priorities, or that address important issues inefficiently or ineffectively such that U.S. taxpayer dollars are best allocated in other ways to support the relevant missions," the White House said in a statement.
Full list:
Non-U. N. organizations
— 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
— Colombo Plan Council
— Commission for Environmental Cooperation
— Education Cannot Wait
— European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
— 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 Combating 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
United Nations organizations
— Department of Economic and Social Affairs
— U.N. Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Africa
— ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
— ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
— ECOSOC — 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
— U.N. Alliance of Civilizations
— U.N. Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries
— U.N. Conference on Trade and Development
— U.N. Democracy Fund
— U.N. Energy
— U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
— U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change
— U.N. Human Settlements Programme
— U.N. Institute for Training and Research
— U.N. Oceans
— U.N. Population Fund
— U.N. Register of Conventional Arms
— U.N. System Chief Executives Board for Coordination
— U.N. System Staff College
— U.N. Water
— U.N. University
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