FOCUS: On January 7, 2026, President Donald J. Trump issued a landmark executive memorandum directing all federal agencies to withdraw the United States from dozens of international organizations, conventions, and treaties deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States.” The move follows Executive Order 14199, signed in February 2025, which launched a full-scale review of America’s involvement in global institutions and multilateral compacts.
After a year-long assessment led by the Secretary of State, the administration concluded that many international entities—particularly within the United Nations and its affiliated networks—had become bureaucratic, biased, or financially burdensome to the United States. The memorandum lists more than sixty groups slated for withdrawal, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Women, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, along with non-UN entities like the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.
Trump’s rationale is rooted in his broader “America First” policy agenda, which emphasizes sovereignty, accountability, and strategic independence. Supporters argue that U.S. taxpayers have long subsidized global programs that undercut domestic priorities or empower adversarial regimes under the guise of cooperation. Critics, however, warn that retreating from multilateral institutions could diminish America’s diplomatic influence and open the door for China and other rivals to fill the vacuum.
The memorandum instructs the State Department to coordinate an orderly withdrawal “as soon as possible” and halts all related funding. It represents one of the most sweeping restructurings of U.S. foreign engagement in modern history—reaffirming Trump’s belief that American strength begins with independence, not entanglement.
Full text of the executive order:
Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 01/07/26 |
| MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES SUBJECT: Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct: Section 1. Purpose. (a) On February 4, 2025, I issued Executive Order 14199 (Withdrawing the United States from and Ending Funding to Certain United Nations Organizations and Reviewing United States Support to All International Organizations). That Executive Order directed the Secretary of State, in consultation with the United States Representative to the United Nations, to conduct a review of all international intergovernmental organizations of which the United States is a member and provides any type of funding or other support, and all conventions and treaties to which the United States is a party, to determine which organizations, conventions, and treaties are contrary to the interests of the United States. The Secretary of State has reported his findings as required by Executive Order 14199.(b) I have considered the Secretary of State’s report and, after deliberating with my Cabinet, have determined that it is contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to the organizations listed in section 2 of this memorandum. (c) Consistent with Executive Order 14199 and pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawal of the United States from the organizations listed in section 2 of this memorandum as soon as possible. For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law.(d) My review of further findings of the Secretary of State remains ongoing. Sec. 2. Organizations from Which the United States Shall Withdraw. Sec. 3. Implementation Guidance. The Secretary of State shall provide additional guidance as needed to agencies when implementing this memorandum. DONALD J. TRUMP |