Overview
- President Trump signed a presidential memorandum directing agencies to withdraw from 31 U.N. entities and 35 non‑U.N. organizations and to stop participation and funding to the extent permitted by law.
- The list includes the UNFCCC, IPCC, UNFPA, UN‑Habitat, UN Women, IRENA, ECLAC and UNCTAD, as well as non‑U.N. groups such as the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the Pan American Institute of Geography and History.
- The administration argues many institutions are redundant, mismanaged or threaten U.S. sovereignty and says taxpayer funds will be redirected to domestic priorities.
- Legal analysts note uncertainty over whether a president can unilaterally withdraw from the UNFCCC, which the Senate ratified in 1992, and CNN reports the U.S. would be the first nation to leave the treaty if the move succeeds.
- Climate experts and European officials warn the withdrawals could weaken global emissions efforts and multilateral coordination, while the White House says the U.S. will remain in select strategic forums such as telecommunications and maritime standards.