The US has ordered its exit from dozens of international and UN-linked organisations after President Donald Trump signed a memorandum citing national interest concerns.
US President Donald Trump speaks during a public address in Washington. (Photo: X/@WhiteHouse)
The United States has begun pulling out of several international organisations and UN-linked bodies after President Donald Trump signed a new presidential memorandum on Wednesday.
The order directs US departments to withdraw from global institutions, conventions, and treaties that the administration says no longer serve American interests.
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The decision marks a significant expansion of Washington’s disengagement from multilateral forums, including climate, energy, and development bodies.
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According to a statement released by the White House, the memorandum lists 35 non-UN organisations and 31 United Nations entities from which the US will exit.
Among the non-UN bodies named are the India- and France-led International Solar Alliance, along with major environmental and climate institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Other organisations listed include the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Energy Forum, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.
On the UN side, the withdrawal covers bodies such as the International Trade Centre, the Peacebuilding Commission, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Law Commission, UN Energy, UN Water and the UN Population Fund.
The memorandum instructs all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to formalise the withdrawals.
For UN-linked entities, this would mean ending participation and stopping funding, wherever permitted under US law.
The White House said the decision followed a report submitted by the Secretary of State and consultations within the Cabinet. After reviewing the findings, the President concluded that continued involvement in these organisations was against US national interests.
This decision does not stand alone.
Over the past year, the Trump administration has steadily pulled the United States out of major international bodies.
In January 2025, Washington began its exit from the World Health Organisation. The White House said the agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Six months later, in July 2025, the US also withdrew from UNESCO. Officials said the organisation no longer matched America’s national priorities.
As a whole, these moves indicate a clear direction. Instead of participating in global institutions, the US focuses on bilateral ties and domestic interests.
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