The list includes prominent organisations such as the UN Human Rights Council, UNESCO, UN Population Fund, UN Peacebuilding Commission, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the Science and Technology Centre in Ukraine

President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of the United States from over 60 international institutions, including several UN agencies and the India-France-led International Solar Alliance (ISA), calling them “redundant” and “contrary” to America’s interests.

Trump signed a memorandum titled ‘Withdrawing the United States from International Organisations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States’, instructing all executive departments to implement the exits immediately. The withdrawal affects 31 UN bodies and 35 non-UN institutions deemed “mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, or contrary to US national interests, security, economic prosperity, or sovereignty,” according to a White House fact sheet.

The list includes prominent organisations such as the UN Human Rights Council, UNESCO, UN Population Fund, UN Peacebuilding Commission, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the Science and Technology Centre in Ukraine. The move also targets the International Solar Alliance, a global initiative launched in 2015 to promote solar energy adoption and investments, with over 100 member countries.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the institutions “often undermine US sovereignty and serve globalist agendas contrary to American interests.” He added, “President Trump is clear: it is no longer acceptable to send billions of taxpayer dollars to organisations that do not benefit the American people.”

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz echoed the stance, saying the US “will no longer fund or participate in international institutions that fail to serve, or actively counter, American interests.”

Trump has repeatedly criticised the UN and its agencies. Within weeks of his second inauguration last year, he withdrew the US from the Paris climate agreement, suspended funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and ordered a review of US membership in UNESCO.

During the UN General Assembly in September, Trump delivered a scathing critique of the world body, saying, “The UN has tremendous potential, but for now, all they do is issue strongly worded letters that solve nothing.”

The White House said further reviews of other international institutions are ongoing, emphasizing that the administration will “seek cooperation where it serves Americans and stand firm where it does not.”

This bold move marks a significant shift in US foreign policy, reflecting Trump’s focus on prioritising national interests over multilateral engagement.