The United States has ordered its withdrawal from 66 international and United Nations-affiliated organisations following a directive signed by President Donald Trump on January 7, 2026, marking a significant escalation in his administration’s rollback of U.S. engagement with multilateral institutions.
The order, contained in a Presidential Memorandum titled “Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies,” instructed U.S. government agencies to end participation and financial contributions to organisations deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States.”
According to the memorandum, President Trump determined that continued U.S. membership, participation or funding of the affected bodies no longer served U.S. national interests. The decision followed an inter-agency review conducted in consultation with the Secretary of State, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and members of the Cabinet and affects 35 non-UN bodies and 31 UN-related entities.
“The review process concluded that withdrawal from certain international organisations is necessary to realign U.S. foreign policy with our national priorities,” the President said, directing federal agencies to move swiftly to implement the decision.
For United Nations-related entities, the directive defined withdrawal as the cessation of U.S. participation or funding to the extent permitted under existing U.S. law.
The memorandum referenced an earlier action taken shortly after Mr Trump’s return to office. “On February 4, 2025, I issued Executive Order 14199 (Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations),” the document stated, framing the latest move as a continuation of that policy.
Scope of the withdrawals
The directive applies to all U.S. executive departments and agencies and requires a coordinated, government-wide implementation. The Secretary of State was tasked with leading the withdrawal process and issuing further guidance, while managing the associated legal, diplomatic and administrative implications.
Among the non-UN organisations listed are the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the International Solar Alliance. These bodies are largely focused on climate science, renewable energy, and environmental protection.
The UN-related entities affected include the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Women, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as well as several UN regional economic commissions.
The memorandum framed the withdrawals as part of a broader reassessment of U.S. engagement with multilateral institutions, particularly those involved in climate policy, development financing, governance, gender equality, population issues, and environmental regulation.
The move is consistent with President Trump’s long-standing scepticism of multilateral frameworks, which he has repeatedly argued constrain U.S. sovereignty, impose financial burdens on American taxpayers, and advance policy agendas misaligned with U.S. interests.
