US pulls out of key UN agencies in protest against "anti-American bias"

On Tuesday, February 4, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that officially withdrew the United States from several United Nations bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

The order also called for a broader review of US funding for the United Nations and its various agencies, with a specific focus on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Caliber.Az reports via foreign media outlets.

The move was part of a protest against what White House staff secretary Will Scharf described as "anti-American bias" within these UN organizations. Under the executive order, the US will end its participation in the UNHRC, where it had held observer status after concluding its latest term at the end of December 2024. This withdrawal would cease US involvement in the council's activities, which include reviewing countries' human rights records and addressing specific allegations of rights violations.

The order also calls for a review of the US's involvement and funding of the UN as a whole, pointing out the significant disparities in funding contributions from different countries. Scharf emphasized the need for a reassessment of how US funds are allocated to multilateral organizations.

Trump stated that while the UN has "tremendous potential," it is "not being well run." He criticized the US for its disproportionate funding contributions and called on other countries to increase their financial commitments, particularly to military alliances like NATO.

As part of the changes, the US will also end its involvement with UNRWA, the primary aid agency for Palestinians, which supports 1.9 million people displaced by the conflict in Gaza. The US had already stopped funding UNRWA in 2024 after Israel accused the agency of spreading anti-Israel content. Under Trump, the US also supported Israel's efforts to have the agency banned, although many other donors have resumed their funding following investigations into the allegations.

This move follows a series of similar withdrawals from international agreements during Trump’s presidency. Earlier in his term, he also pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement and began the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO), the largest donor to which the US is. These actions are consistent with Trump's first term, which ended in 2021.

By Tamilla Hasanova