Overview
- The presidential memorandum directs agencies to end participation in and funding for 31 U.N. entities and 35 non‑U.N. organizations as soon as possible.
- Targets include the 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, alongside groups such as IRENA, UN Women, UNCTAD and UNFPA.
- Legal scholars note constitutional ambiguity over withdrawing from ratified treaties, raising the prospect of court challenges, and the State Department says additional reviews are continuing.
- U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell and multiple experts condemned the step, warning it will erode U.S. influence in climate talks and limit access to shared scientific assessments.
- The administration did not specify expected savings, and U.N. agencies have already trimmed programs and staff following earlier U.S. funding cuts.