Trump Signs Order to Withdraw US from UN Human Rights Council

On February 4, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order pulling the United States out of several United Nations bodies, including the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The order also called for a broader review of U.S. funding for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This decision coincided with a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime critic of UNRWA. Netanyahu has accused the organization of anti-Israel bias and alleged that some of its staff were involved in terrorist activities.

Under Trump’s first term (2017-2021), the U.S. also withdrew from the UNHRC, citing a bias against Israel, and cut funding for UNRWA, questioning the organization’s role in Middle East peace efforts.

Additionally, Trump ordered the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement during both his first and second terms.

The U.S. was previously the largest donor to UNRWA, contributing between $300 million and $400 million annually, but funding was paused in January 2024 following allegations involving UNRWA staff’s involvement in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

Contributions to UNRWA have been suspended until at least March 2025 by Congress.