by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a sweeping presidential memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including 31 entities tied to the United Nations, in a major escalation of his “America First” agenda.
The decision orders all executive departments and agencies to immediately cease participation in and funding of organizations the administration says no longer serve U.S. interests. According to the White House, the withdrawals apply to 35 non-U.N. organizations and 31 U.N.-related entities, following a State Department review initiated earlier this year under Executive Order 14199.
In the memorandum, Trump said he reviewed findings submitted by Marco Rubio and determined it is “contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support” to the listed organizations. For U.N. bodies, withdrawal means ending participation or funding to the extent permitted by law.
Among the U.N.-linked agencies the U.S. is exiting are the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Law Commission, the International Trade Centre, the Peacebuilding Commission and Peacebuilding Fund, the U.N. Democracy Fund, U.N. Energy, U.N. University, and the U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The administration also withdrew from climate-related agreements and migration frameworks, including the U.N. population agency and the Global Forum for Migration and Development.
Non-U.N. organizations affected include the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact, and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The memorandum also cited more than two dozen so-called “hybrid threats,” including research and resilience funds linked to international networks.
In a statement, the State Department said the administration found many of the institutions to be “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas, and contrary to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.”
Rubio accused several organizations of promoting progressive ideology at odds with U.S. national interests, citing DEI mandates, gender equity campaigns, and climate orthodoxy. He said the withdrawals reflect a broader effort to dismantle what he called a global “NGO-plex,” including steps taken earlier to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The move follows earlier withdrawals by the Trump administration from the World Health Organization, UNRWA, UNESCO, and the UN Human Rights Council. Trump previously criticized the council for including countries such as China and Iran and for what the White House described as persistent bias against Israel.
The decision comes as Trump presses for international cooperation on several fronts, including efforts to broker an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia, advance the Gaza ceasefire to its next phase, and manage the fallout from the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. It also follows Trump’s sharply critical address to the U.N. last September, where he derided the organization as ineffective and questioned its relevance.
The White House said reviews of additional international organizations remain ongoing, signaling that further withdrawals could follow.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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