'Anti-American, useless': Trump pulls out of 66 int'l organisations including India-led ISA, UN bodies

The United States has confirmed its withdrawal from 66 international organisations, a move officials say reflects President Trump's commitment to prioritising American interests. Organisations from which the US shall withdraw have been classified as 'non-United Nations Organisations', 'hybrid threats', and 'United Nations Organisations'. 

Among the organisations from which the US will withdraw is the International Solar Alliance led by India. 

"Today, in furtherance of Executive Order 14199, President Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organizations identified as part of the Trump Administration’s review of wasteful, ineffective, and harmful international organizations. Review of additional international organizations pursuant to Executive Order 14199 remains ongoing," the White House memorandum read. 

The White House memorandum identifies the targeted bodies as "contrary to the interests of the United States." The withdrawal list features organisations central to international climate action, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which forms the foundation of global climate agreements.

As part of the broader shift, the US is also leaving UNESCO, which it had rejoined under the previous administration, and the World Health Organization. Funding cuts have forced UN agencies like the High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Programme to reduce operations.

Exits from climate bodies go beyond previous pledges, with the UNFCCC withdrawal severing US ties with key legal frameworks underpinning international climate policy. The administration has made fossil fuels central to domestic policy, and President Trump has previously described climate change as a "hoax" during a high-level UN summit.

The legal basis for these withdrawals is uncertain. While the US Constitution outlines the process for entering treaties, it does not specify procedures for leaving them. This ambiguity could invite legal review and complicate any future re-engagement by subsequent administrations.

Environmental groups have criticised these decisions. Rachel Cleetus of the Union of Concerned Scientists stated: "President Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the bedrock global treaty to tackle climate change is a new low and yet another sign that this authoritarian, anti-science administration is determined to sacrifice people's well-being and destabilize global cooperation."

Other organisations listed for withdrawal include the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Renewable Energy Agency, UN Oceans, UN Water, and various UN population and trade bodies. President Trump has also previously declared that the United Nations was "not even coming close to living up" to its potential.