U.S. Announces Withdrawal from 66 Different International Organizations
In an unprecedented move, the United States under President Donald Trump has announced its withdrawal from 66 international organizations and treaties. UN Secretary-General António Guterres responded with deep regret, but emphasized the international community's determination to continue its work even without Washington.
According to U.S. President Donald Trump, the reason for the withdrawal is that the organizations, agreements, and treaties are not compatible with the interests of the United States. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en)
It is a diplomatic earthquake that is shaking the foundations of multilateral cooperation. US President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum ordering the immediate withdrawal of a total of 66 bodies. Of these, 31 are United Nations (UN) organizations and programs. The White House stated that these institutions were “not compatible with the interests of the United States” and were wasting American taxpayers' money.
Guterres: “We will continue our mandates”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said through his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, that he deeply regretted Washington's decision. He pointed out that the payment of mandatory contributions to the regular budget of the UN is an obligation under international law in accordance with the UN Charter. Nevertheless, Guterres was combative: “The United Nations has a responsibility to those who depend on us. We will continue to carry out our mandates with determination,” said the official statement from New York. The organizations would continue to carry out their tasks despite the lack of US funding and expertise.
Focus on climate, gender, and democracy
The list of affected organizations reads like a who's who of international cooperation. The environment and climate sectors are particularly hard hit: among other things, the US is leaving the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The U.S. is also withdrawing from social justice initiatives, such as the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, describing many of the affected bodies as “superfluous, poorly managed, or harmful to national sovereignty.” There was talk of a departure from “globalist agendas” in favor of a strict “America First” policy.
For Vienna, which plays a central role in international diplomacy as one of the four headquarters of the United Nations (alongside New York, Geneva, and Nairobi), the situation is more nuanced. While the “big” organizations based in Vienna have been spared for the time being, specialized committees and coordination bodies have been directly affected.
Experts believe that the U.S. government is making strategic distinctions between the organizations in Vienna: bodies dealing with ideological issues (gender, climate, migration) will be abandoned, while organizations with a security focus (nuclear control, drug enforcement) will remain in place for the time being. Nevertheless, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the “review of other international organizations is ongoing.”
Criticism of the “isolation of the U.S.”
Internationally, the withdrawals have been met with sharp criticism. Experts warn that the U.S. could lose a great deal of influence as a result of this withdrawal – especially vis-à-vis China, which is eager to fill the gaps left in global organizations. Environmental organizations spoke of a “new low” and a threat to global security, as organizations dedicated to combating hybrid threats (such as the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats) are also on the list.
While the international community now faces the challenge of closing the funding gaps created by the U.S. withdrawal, the situation in New York remains tense. The U.S. already owes the UN around $1.5 billion. With the latest decree, this mountain of debt is likely to grow even further.