President Trump’s first year in office has seen an almost unprecedented whirlwind of presidential executive actions. Not since the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt have so many executive actions been issued in a single year. In the first year of his second term thus far (January 20, 2025 through January 7, 2026), President Trump has issued 398 executive actions, including 226 executive orders, 56 presidential memoranda, and 116 proclamations.
[T]he U.S. government was a participant in at least 160 international and multilateral organizations at a cost of $16.6 billion in fiscal year 2023.
Many of Trump’s executive actions have, indeed, been extraordinary and long overdue in addressing destructive government policies and attempting to reform how the federal government operates. But Trump’s latest executive action, issued on January 7, 2026 in the form of a presidential memorandum, will have a far-reaching and profound effect on U.S. foreign policy and how the United States relates with the rest of the world. In addition to cutting unnecessary costs from the federal budget, it helps restore the concept of national sovereignty.
Trump’s memorandum directs all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to withdraw the United States’ participation in 66 international and multilateral organizations. These organizations, 31 of which are within the organizational umbrella of the United Nations, are deemed to be contrary to the national interest of the United States after a thorough review conducted in 2025 by the State Department.
Many of these organizations are costly to the American taxpayer and unproductive — even counter-productive — not only to the United States but to other nations as well. A prime example is the commitment by a wide range of international organizations for enacting exorbitantly expensive and oppressive climate change policies around the world.
According to a report issued by the U.S. State Department on December 3, 2024, the U.S. government was a participant in at least 160 international and multilateral organizations at a cost of $16.6 billion in fiscal year 2023.
A complete list of all 66 organizations affected by Trump’s memorandum for withdrawal is provided below:
Non-United Nations Organizations
- 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact;
- Colombo Plan Council;
- Commission for Environmental Cooperation;
- Education Cannot Wait;
- European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats;
- Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories;
- Freedom Online Coalition;
- Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund;
- Global Counterterrorism Forum;
- Global Forum on Cyber Expertise;
- Global Forum on Migration and Development;
- Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research;
- Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development;
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;
- Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services;
- International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property;
- International Cotton Advisory Committee;
- International Development Law Organization;
- International Energy Forum;
- International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies;
- International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance;
- International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law;
- International Lead and Zinc Study Group;
- International Renewable Energy Agency;
- International Solar Alliance;
- International Tropical Timber Organization;
- International Union for Conservation of Nature;
- Pan American Institute of Geography and History;
- Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation;
- Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia;
- Regional Cooperation Council;
- Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century;
- Science and Technology Center in Ukraine;
- Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme; and
- Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
United Nations (UN) Organizations
- Department of Economic and Social Affairs;
- UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) — Economic Commission for Africa;
- ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean;
- ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific;
- ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia;
- International Law Commission;
- International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals;
- International Trade Centre;
- Office of the Special Adviser on Africa;
- Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict;
- Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict;
- Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children;
- Peacebuilding Commission;
- Peacebuilding Fund;
- Permanent Forum on People of African Descent;
- UN Alliance of Civilizations;
- UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries;
- UN Conference on Trade and Development;
- UN Democracy Fund;
- UN Energy;
- UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women;
- UN Framework Convention on Climate Change;
- UN Human Settlements Programme;
- UN Institute for Training and Research;
- UN Oceans;
- UN Population Fund;
- UN Register of Conventional Arms;
- UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination;
- UN System Staff College;
- UN Water; and
- UN University
Trump’s memorandum directs the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to provide additional guidance as needed to implement the memorandum.
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Steve Dewey is a fellow at the Ben Franklin Fellowship, founder of GeoFinancial Trends, LLC (www.geofinancialtrends.org) and writes on Substack (stevedewey.substack.com). He can be reached at steve@geofinancialtrends.org
