The United States has announced that it is withdrawing from dozens of “wasteful and ineffective” international entities.
According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, January 7, signed an executive order to withdraw from 66 international organisations, including the United Nations’ population agency and the UN climate treaty, becoming the first nation to abandon global climate pact.
As per the White House, the country is leaving 31 UN entities and 35 non-UN groups that are “contrary to the interests of the United States.”
Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defence Council, said, “The United States would be the first country to walk away from the UNFCCC. Every other nation is a member, in part because they recognise that even beyond the moral imperative of addressing climate change, having a seat at the table in those negotiations represents an ability to shape massive economic policy and opportunity.”
It is worth noting that last year, Trump’s first year of his second term, the US, for the first time in three decades, skipped the UN’s annual international climate summit.
Here is the list of international organisations that the US is leaving:
Non-United Nations organizations:
1. 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
2. Colombo Plan Council
3. Commission for Environmental Cooperation
4. Education Cannot Wait
5. European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
6. Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories
7. Freedom Online Coalition
8. Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund
9. Global Counterterrorism Forum
10. Global Forum on Cyber Expertise
11. Global Forum on Migration and Development
12. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
13. Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development
14. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
15. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
16. International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
17. International Cotton Advisory Committee
18. International Development Law Organization
19. International Energy Forum
20. International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
21. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
22. International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law
23. International Lead and Zinc Study Group
24. International Renewable Energy Agency
25. International Solar Alliance
26. International Tropical Timber Organization
27. International Union for Conservation of Nature
28. Pan American Institute of Geography and History
29. Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation
30. Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia
31. Regional Cooperation Council
32. Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
33. Science and Technology Center in Ukraine
34. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
35. Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
United Nations (UN) organizations:
36. Department of Economic and Social Affairs
37. UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa
38. ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
39. ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
40. (ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia;
41. International Law Commission
42. International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
43. International Trade Centre
44. Office of the Special Adviser on Africa
45. Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict
46. Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
47. Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
48. Peacebuilding Commission
49. Peacebuilding Fund
50. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
51. UN Alliance of Civilizations
52. UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries
53. UN Conference on Trade and Development
54. UN Democracy Fund
55. UN Energy
56. UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
57. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
58. UN Human Settlements Programme
59. UN Institute for Training and Research
60. UN Oceans
61. UN Population Fund
62. UN Register of Conventional Arms
63. UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination
64. UN System Staff College
65. UN Water
66. UN University
