U.S. Partially Withdraws from International Bodies: Trump Administration’s Selective Policy

Geneva – The United States has decided to halt its participation in several United Nations bodies and other international organizations. Russian Ambassador Gennady Gatilov provided this information in response to questions from RIA Novosti and TASS.

According to him, on January 7, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump decided to terminate American participation and cut funding for various Geneva-based international organizations and mechanisms. This includes the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the Global Forum on Migration and Development.

Gatilov noted that this decision was not unexpected. In recent years, the United States had either not actively participated in these bodies or had done so only selectively.

Interestingly, the Americans did not withdraw from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which develops standards and norms in fields including transport. Cooperation with all other regional UN commissions, however, was terminated. This indicates that President Trump’s decision was primarily driven by economic priorities and the interests of American businesses.

Overall, Gatilov said this step can hardly be seen as anything other than a reaffirmation of the U.S.’s selective approach to the UN, its disregard for multilateralism, and its reluctance to engage in collective solutions to global challenges.