President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order formally withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council and ending U.S. participation in the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The move, which reinforces Trumps long-standing criticism of the U.N., came just before his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump also ordered a review of U.S. involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an agency tasked with promoting global cultural and historical cooperation. The U.S. and Israel previously withdrew from UNESCO in 2019 over the agencys erasure of Jewish history within Israels borders.
Ive always felt that the U.N. has tremendous potential. Its not living up to that potential right now. It really hasnt for a long time, Trump said during remarks from the Oval Office. There are great hopes for it, but its not being well-run, to be honest.
The decision to withdraw from the Human Rights Council aligns with accusations from both the U.S. and Israel that the body unfairly targets Israel while overlooking severe human rights violations in other nations.
Trump had previously cut funding for UNRWA during his first term, citing concerns that the agency perpetuated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than resolving it. While President Joe Biden reinstated some U.S. funds for the agency, he later froze them in January 2024 following reports that UNRWA staff had participated in Hamass October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Those funds were never reinstated after Biden left office.
Israel has taken similar action, with a law banning UNRWA from operating within its borders going into effect last week.
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