President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday (Feb 4) to pull the US out of the United Nations organisations, including the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and review funding for the global body.

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Trump has also ordered to withdraw the US from the UN Relief Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA). He further said that Washington plans to review its involvement in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

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Trump also withdrew the US from the UNHRC in 2018 during his first term in office. However, former president Joe Biden reinstated the membership in 2021 after assuming office.

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White House says UN is biased

White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf alleged that UN agencies have an “anti-American bias”.

“More generally, the executive order calls for review of American involvement and funding in the UN in light of the wild disparities and levels of funding among different countries,” said Scharf.

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‘Not being well run’

The president has said that while the UN has “tremendous potential”, it is “not being well run.”

The international body has “got to get their act together,” Trump told reporters. “It’s not being well run, to be honest, and they’re not doing the job.”

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“It should be funded by everybody, but we're disproportionate, as we always seem to be,” he said.

Trump added, “A lot of these conflicts that we’re working on should be settled, or at least we should have some help in settling them. We never seem to get help. That should be the primary purpose of the United Nations.”

UN responds to Trump’s decision

In response to Trump’s announcement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that Guterres “has worked tirelessly to implement many reforms ... to increase efficiency and innovation.”

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“US support for the United Nations has saved countless lives and advanced global security,” he said. “The Secretary-General looks forward to continuing his productive relationship with President Trump and the US Government to strengthen that relationship in today’s turbulent world.”

(With inputs from agencies)