UN chief regrets WH announcement to withdraw US from global organisations

United Nations, Jan 8 (PTI): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday voiced regret over the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the US from several UN entities, vowing that the world body will continue to carry its mandates “with determination.” President Donald Trump on Wednesday withdrew the US from over 60 international organisations, including 31 UN bodies and the India-France-led International Solar Alliance, calling the institutions “redundant” and “contrary” to America’s interests.

“The Secretary-General regrets the announcement by the White House regarding the United States’ decision to withdraw from a number of United Nations entities,” a statement by the spokesman for the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

The United Nations has a “responsibility to deliver for those who depend on us. We will continue to carry out our mandates with determination,” the statement added.

Guterres said that assessed contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget, as approved by the General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States.

“All United Nations entities will go on with the implementation of their mandates as given by Member States,” it said.

After Trump directed all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to put into effect withdrawal of the United States from the organizations “as soon as possible,” he said that for United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to those entities to the extent permitted by law.

The US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said on X that the “US will no longer fund or participate in international organisations that do not serve, or in many cases work counter to, American interests.” The list of 35-non UN organisations and 31 UN entities includes Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, International Solar Alliance, Science and Technology Center in Ukraine, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific and Western Asia, and Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict.

The list also includes Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Peacebuilding Commission, Peacebuilding Fund, UN Conference on Trade and Development, UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and UN Population Fund. PTI YAS NPK NPK

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