The United States in early 2025 began a review of the country's involvement in United Nations and non-UN organisations.
United States President Donald Trump has announced his administration’s withdrawal from 66 international organisations.
These include United Nations (UN) and non-UN commissions, funds, and advisory panels. The move could affect nations from Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Trump clarified that where UN bodies were concerned, “withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law.”
Deemed wasteful and ineffective
The US president signed the executive order on Wednesday after a year-long review of the US’ involvement in all international intergovernmental organisations.
A total of 31 UN organisations are included, cutting across multiple spheres such as law, trade, education, energy, climate, and economic development.
Those directly affecting Africa include the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)— Economic Commission for Africa.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the review, which was tasked with identifying US commitments that were “wasteful, ineffective, and harmful” to US interests.
“The Trump administration has found these institutions to be redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity,” Rubio stated yesterday.
List of US withdrawals
Rubio said the review was not complete and could include additional bodies at a later date, warning against the promotion of “progressive ideologies” that were opposed to the US.
“The days of billions of dollars in taxpayer money flowing to foreign interests at the expense of our people are over,” Rubio declared.
Here is a list of the organisations affected:
UN organisations
- Department of Economic and Social Affairs
- 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
- UN Alliance of Civilizations
- UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries
- UN Conference on Trade and Development
- UN Democracy Fund
- UN Energy
- UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
- UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
- UN Human Settlements Programme
- UN Institute for Training and Research
- UN Oceans
- UN Population Fund
- UN Register of Conventional Arms
- UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination
- UN System Staff College
- UN Water
- UN University
Non-UN organisations
- 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 Combatting 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
