The United States has withdrawn from 66 international organisations and treaties, including major climate and environmental bodies, in a move critics say could hurt ordinary Americans through job losses, rising disaster risks and economic instability.
The decision follows President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy agenda, aimed at limiting international commitments deemed contrary to U.S. interests.
According to a Presidential Memorandum signed in Washington, the U.S. exited 35 non-UN organisations and 31 United Nations bodies, conventions and treaties.
Among the most significant is the planned withdrawal from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), coming one year after the U.S. pulled out of the Paris Agreement.
President Trump said the decision followed a comprehensive review ordered under Executive Order 14199 of February 4, 2025, which directed the Secretary of State to assess all international organisations and treaties receiving U.S. support.
After consultations with his Cabinet, Trump concluded that continued participation in the listed bodies was “contrary to the interests of the United States.”
The affected organisations include climate, governance and development-focused institutions such as the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN Energy, UN Democracy Fund, UN Alliance of Civilisations and the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, which has now been disbanded.
U.S. agencies have been directed to immediately cease participation and funding, where legally permissible.
Reacting sharply, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell warned that the move could backfire on Americans.
He described the withdrawal as a “colossal own goal,” cautioning that stepping away from global climate cooperation would worsen economic insecurity as climate disasters intensify, ultimately harming U.S. jobs, living standards and national resilience.