By Abdullahi Lukman
US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, February 4, signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The order also initiated a review of the US’s involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with Trump emphasizing that the UN must ensure fairness to all nations.
In his remarks, Trump expressed longstanding dissatisfaction with the UN’s operations, stating, “I always felt the UN has always had tremendous potential but it’s not living up to its potential.”
The President’s decision to withdraw from both the Human Rights Council and UNRWA highlights his administration’s broader skepticism towards international organizations that, in his view, fail to represent American interests effectively.
The US had long been the largest donor to UNRWA, contributing nearly $500 million annually to support the agency’s work with Palestinian refugees.
However, in January 2024, the Biden administration paused this funding after Israel accused several UNRWA staff members of being involved in the Hamas attacks that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
Following this, the US Congress formally suspended all contributions to UNRWA, with funding remaining halted until at least March 2025.
Trump’s executive order comes just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington, underscoring the timing of the move in relation to heightened US Israel relations and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
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The withdrawal from UNRWA aligns with Trump’s longstanding position on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, which has been marked by staunch support for Israel and controversial remarks about the future of Palestine.
The President also reiterated his stance on the future of Gaza, stating that Palestinians have no choice but to leave the territory, suggesting that they should relocate to neighboring countries such as Jordan or Egypt.
Trump stressed, “I just support cleaning it up and doing something with it,” referring to the ravaged Gaza Strip. His comments do not endorse Israeli settlements in Gaza but reflect his belief in the need for a comprehensive solution to the ongoing conflict.
This move is not the first time Trump has sought to curtail US funding to international agencies.
During his first term, the former President made headlines by cutting off US contributions to UNRWA, arguing that Palestinians needed to agree to renew peace talks with Israel and calling for unspecified reforms within the agency.
These actions are part of a broader trend under Trump’s administration, which saw the US withdraw from other global agreements and organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Agreement, both of which he also exited in an effort to prioritize American sovereignty and policies.
Trump’s executive order reflects his broader “America First” foreign policy agenda, which has prioritized reducing US involvement in multilateral institutions, arguing that such organizations often act against American interests or unfairly target the US and its allies.
While this approach has been praised by some of his supporters as an effort to reclaim American autonomy, it has also drawn sharp criticism from those who argue that disengagement from international bodies weakens the US’s global leadership and undermines efforts to address global challenges like climate change, human rights, and public health.
As the US moves forward with these changes, the implications for its relationships with the UN and international organizations, as well as its influence in global diplomacy, will continue to unfold.
