The United States is set to withdraw from 66 international organisations, most of them linked to the United Nations, marking a significant escalation in President Donald Trump’s move away from multilateral cooperation.
According to an Associated Press report, Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) suspending U.S. participation and funding for dozens of global agencies, commissions and advisory bodies. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the decision followed a comprehensive review of American involvement in international organisations, including those affiliated with the United Nations.
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Most of the organisations targeted are focused on climate change, labour rights and social development — areas the Trump administration has repeatedly criticised as advancing diversity-driven or “woke” agendas.
UN agencies, climate treaty among key exits
As per a report by The Hindu, the U.S. State Department in a statement said the administration found several of the institutions to be “redundant, mismanaged, wasteful or captured by interests that run contrary to U.S. sovereignty and prosperity.”
Among the most consequential exits is the U.S. withdrawal from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 1992 treaty that underpins global climate negotiations, including the Paris Agreement. Mr. Trump had earlier pulled the U.S. out of the Paris accord, which he has repeatedly dismissed as unnecessary.
The administration has also exited the International Solar Alliance, a climate initiative led by India and France and launched at the Paris climate summit in 2015.
Other organisations the U.S. plans to leave include the UN Population Fund, the United Nations University, the International Tropical Timber Organization, the International Cotton Advisory Committee, and several global cultural, energy and research bodies.
Broader shift in U.S. foreign policy
The move comes amid wider geopolitical turbulence triggered by the Trump administration’s recent actions, including the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and statements indicating interest in asserting U.S. control over Greenland, developments that have unsettled allies and rivals alike.
The U.S. had already suspended or reduced participation in several major UN-linked bodies, including the World Health Organization, UN Human Rights Council, UNESCO, and UNRWA. These decisions have forced the UN to undertake staffing and programme cuts at a time when it is already grappling with funding shortfalls.
Independent aid organisations working alongside the UN have also reported project closures following sharp reductions in U.S. foreign assistance through USAID last year.
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Despite the withdrawals, U.S. officials maintain that Washington will remain engaged in select international forums where it sees strategic value, particularly in bodies that set global standards and where competition with China is a factor. These include the International Telecommunications Union, the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization.
Climate experts have warned that the U.S. exit from climate-focused institutions could slow global efforts to cut emissions. Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson said the move could encourage other countries to delay their own climate commitments, noting that meaningful progress would be difficult without cooperation from one of the world’s largest economies and carbon emitters.
The State Department said further reviews of U.S. participation in international organisations are ongoing.
