U.S. to Quit 66 International, U.N. Entities

The White House announced on Wednesday that the United States intends to withdraw from 66 international entities because of their work “contrary to American national interests.” Many of the targets are UN-linked agencies focused on climate, gender, health and labor issues – all areas that President Donald Trump has described as part of his liberal “woke” agenda.

According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, these institutions are “redundant in scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, and mismanaged, and have been captured by interest actors who advance their own agendas that conflict with ours, or pose a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and overall prosperity.”

The White House announced on Wednesday that the United States intends to withdraw from 66 international entities because of their work “contrary to American national interests.” Many of the targets are UN-linked agencies focused on climate, gender, health and labor issues – all areas that President Donald Trump has described as part of his liberal “woke” agenda.

According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, these institutions are “redundant in scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, and mismanaged, and have been captured by interest actors who advance their own agendas that conflict with ours, or pose a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and overall prosperity.”

However, experts argue that a lack of US engagement could hamper the effectiveness of these institutions, reduce Washington’s influence on the world stage, and harm millions of people who depend on these entities for life-saving support.

Among the entities targeted is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is the primary climate treaty for the 2015 Paris Agreement. Trump has called climate change a “hoax” and promoted the need for more fossil fuels, which are the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. In November, the United States was absent from the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Brazil in 2025, for the first time in 30 years.

The Trump administration is also seeking to leave UN Women, which advocates for gender equality and women’s empowerment; the United Nations Population Fund, which promotes family planning and aims to improve maternal and child health; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which reports on how the rate of global warming could irreversibly damage the planet; and the United Nations democracy Fund, which supports democratization initiatives around the world.

Read more in today’s Global Brief: The United States withdraws from dozens of international and international entities.