The Trump administration said today that the United States will start to pull out of 66 international organizations. This is a historic and controversial change in the country's role in the world. The move is one of the biggest cuts to U.S. involvement in multilateral organizations in decades and is likely to change how countries work together and communicate with each other around the world.
A Choice Framed as Sovereignty and Realignment
Senior officials in the administration called the decision a strategic realignment, not a retreat. They said that years of automatic participation have led to membership in groups that are ineffective, not in line with U.S. interests, or doing the same things as other groups.
A senior official said in a background briefing, "For too long, American taxpayer dollars and diplomatic energy have been funneled into organizations that do not align with our national interests or reflect our values.This step is about making a clear-eyed assessment of what works.It allows the United States to engage with the world on terms that prioritize our citizens’ security, prosperity, and sovereign authority.”
The government said that the money and time saved would be used to make the country's infrastructure better, make technology more competitive, and strengthen alliances that are seen as more directly helpful, like AUKUS and other strategic partnerships.The range of withdrawals and what they might do. Officials said that the withdrawals affect a lot of U.N. - affiliated and independent groups, even though the full list wasn't made public right away.
Some agencies focus on:
- Climate and Environment: For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat.
- Public Health: This includes the World Health Organization's (WHO) framework conventions on tobacco control and some efforts to get ready for a pandemic.
- The U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) are examples of this.
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU) development sector and various U.N. commissions on science and technology are examples of scientific and technical cooperation.
These groups help set global technical standards, coordinate responses to crises, share scientific data, and promote diplomatic norms. The U.S. withdrawal, especially since it is a major funder of many, could lead to big budget shortfalls and gaps in leadership. It also gives up power over making rules in important areas like digital governance, environmental rules, and public health rules to other countries, especially China and Russia.
Condemnation from both parties and around the world
The announcement caused a quick and strong backlash from an unusual group of foreign policy experts, bipartisan lawmakers, and international allies.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), called the move “an act of profound self-sabotage.”
“This isn’t sovereignty—it’s self-isolation,” Cardin said in a statement. “From pandemic preparedness to maritime security, these groups exist because problems don’t stop at borders. Leaving the table doesn’t make us stronger; it makes us less secure, less influential, and forces our allies to look elsewhere for leadership.”
European diplomats, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were worried. A high-ranking EU official called it "a gift to autocrats" and said it would weaken the international order led by the West. Without U.S. involvement and funding, there are serious worries about the stability of global health monitoring systems and climate finance mechanisms.
Strategic Exceptions and the Way Forward
Officials in the administration tried to calm people's worries by listing exceptions. They confirmed that the U.S. will stay a member of what it calls "core" economic and security organizations, such as the U.N. Security Council, NATO, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The withdrawal will happen in stages over the next 12 to 18 months, as required by the treaties and charters that govern each group. Some departures, where the U.S. is only an observer or a simple member, could happen very soon. In the next few weeks, the State Department is expected to give Congress and allies a detailed timeline and explanation for each specific withdrawal.
This huge change marks the start of a new, more transactional and sovereignty-focused era in U.S. foreign policy. It will take years to figure out what its long-term effects will be, as the world adapts to a multilateral landscape with a less involved United Statesand other powers rush to fillthe gap.
