The US withdraws from 66 UN-affiliated organizations

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order to officially withdraw the United States from 66 international organizations. According to The Guardian newspaper, this massive withdrawal includes 31 United Nations agencies and 35 other international organizations.

According to the White House and the State Department, these organizations operate contrary to US national interests, and maintaining them is a waste of money, unnecessary, or inefficiently managed. This decision acts as an extension of Trump's 'America First' policy, pursuing a strategy of disengagement from global institutions.

The United States has also decided to withdraw from the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which was established at the 2015 Paris Climate Summit, primarily at the initiative of India and France. The US joined this Haryana-headquartered alliance, aimed at promoting solar energy use and securing a trillion-dollar investment by 2030, as its 101st member in November 2021. However, with the current decision, the US will withdraw from this major energy alliance, which has over 120 member countries.

The most critical and far-reaching impact of this decision is the US withdrawal from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This agreement, established in 1992, is the primary platform uniting almost every country in the world to combat climate change, and it is also crucial for the Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, the US is withdrawing from critical bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity states that this illegal move could permanently remove the US from climate diplomacy.

Following its earlier decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), the US will officially lose its membership from January 22nd. Experts like Stanford University scientist Rob Jackson warn that the withdrawal of the US, the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, could give other countries an opportunity to shirk their climate responsibilities. Trump has long stated that climate change is a hoax.

Gina McCarthy, former climate advisor during the Biden administration, has strongly criticized this decision as shameful and foolish, pointing out that it destroys the climate leadership and global cooperation the US has built over decades. Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, states that this weakens America's ability to compete with China and that the US is abandoning clean energy technology while the world moves forward with it.

The US has also withdrawn from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which provides sexual and reproductive health services, alleging that it encourages forced abortions in countries like China. However, investigations conducted during the Biden administration found no such evidence. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified these decisions by stating that funds will no longer be spent on maintaining officials who act against the interests of the American people.

However, it appears that the US aims to increase its influence in areas of direct competition with China, such as the International Telecommunication Union and the International Labour Organization. Recent actions by the Trump administration, such as the attempt to arrest Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and comments regarding Greenland, suggest a very aggressive foreign policy. Analysts point out that these withdrawals will create serious crises such as reduced funding, diminished operational power, and eroded global trust in the affected organizations, severely impacting humanitarian aid to developing countries.