U.S. Exits UN Human Rights Council and UNRWA Under Trump Executive Order

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday officially withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The order also ends all US funding to UNRWA, citing its ties to Hamas terrorism.

Trump’s order states that "some UN agencies have drifted from their mission and instead act contrary to US interests, attacking our allies and propagating antisemitism."

Specifically, the order accuses UNRWA of being “infiltrated by terrorist organizations” and notes that agency employees actively participated in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Regarding the UNHRC, the order states that the body has "protected human rights abusers while shielding them from scrutiny."

The order also criticizes UNESCO, citing its "failure to reform, persistent anti-Israel sentiment, and inability to address concerns over mounting arrears."

The executive order explicitly prohibits any US government department from providing funds to UNRWA, stating:

"Executive departments and agencies shall not use any funds for a contribution, grant, or other payment to UNRWA."

This decision marks the most significant US disengagement from the UN since Trump’s first term, when he previously cut funding to UNRWA and withdrew from the UNHRC in 2018.

The move underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to Israel’s security and signals a broader policy shift regarding US participation in international institutions perceived as hostile to American and Israeli interests.

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