US pulls out of dozens of international organisations
US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from dozens of international organisations, including many that work to combat climate change.
Among the 66 groups, nearly half are bodies of the United Nations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – a treaty that underpins all international efforts to combat global warming.
White House justification
The White House said the decision was taken because those entities “no longer serve American interests” and promote “ineffective or hostile agendas”.
Trump has already stripped many multilateral organisations he dislikes of funds and has previously rejected the scientific consensus on man-made climate change, describing it as a “hoax”.
The memorandum was signed on Wednesday following a review into bodies that the White House said were “a waste of taxpayer dollars”.
“These withdrawals will end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over US priorities,” the statement said.
It added that many of the organisations promoted “radical climate policies, global governance and ideological programmes that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength”.
UN bodies affected
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an expert body that assesses climate science worldwide, was also included on the list.
Other UN organisations affected include those working on peace and democracy, family planning, maternal and child health, and sexual violence in conflict.
Legal questions and criticism
While the US Constitution allows presidents to join treaties “provided two thirds of Senators present concur”, it does not specify what happens if a president withdraws, meaning the US treaty withdrawal could face legal challenges.
A member of the US-based non-profit advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists described the step as a “new low”.
Senior policy director Rachel Cleetus told AFP news agency it was another sign that the administration, which she described as “authoritarian” and “anti-science”, was prepared to sacrifice people’s wellbeing and destabilise global cooperation.
Paris Agreement exit repeated
Last year, Trump again withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, the world’s most significant effort to tackle rising global temperatures, and declined to send a delegation to the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.
Source: BBC
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