US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to withdraw the United States from several UN bodies, including the Human Rights Council, and to conduct a broader review of U.S. funding for UN agencies. The order also said the United States would end its cooperation with the main UN aid agency for the Palestinians, UNRWA. Washington said it would review its participation in UNESCO, the UN's specialized educational, scientific and cultural agency.
The moves, AFP notes , were made in protest against what White House Secretary Will Scharf called "anti-American bias" within UN agencies.
"More generally, the order calls for a review of U.S. funding at the U.N. in light of the vast differences and levels of funding between countries," said Will Scharf.
Trump has long railed against Washington's level of funding for international organizations, calling on other countries to increase their contributions.
US funding for the UN agency that provides aid to the Palestinians was cut off by Washington in January 2024, under the Joe Biden administration. The reason for this was Israel's accusation that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in an attack on Israel by Palestinian extremists on October 7, 2023.
Earlier, during his previous presidential term, Trump announced the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the beginning of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, AFP reports.
