The United Nations insists its mission will endure after President Trump orders a sweeping US withdrawal from dozens of global bodies, testing multilateral cooperation at a volatile moment….reports Asian Lite News
The United Nations has moved swiftly to project calm and continuity after the United States announced a sweeping withdrawal from dozens of international organisations, including a significant number of UN-affiliated bodies, under an order signed by President Donald Trump.
Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric made it clear that the organisation would continue its work regardless of Washington’s decision, stressing that multilateral cooperation remains central to addressing global challenges.
“Our work will continue,” Dujarric said, adding that Secretary-General António Guterres remains firmly committed to the principles of international collaboration. “The Secretary-General respects the sovereignty of each member state, but he also believes deeply that the problems facing the world today can only be solved together.”
The White House confirmed late on Wednesday that the US would halt participation in and funding for 66 international organisations, including 31 UN entities and 35 other multilateral bodies. The administration said the decision was driven by concerns that these organisations no longer served US national interests and, in some cases, undermined American sovereignty.
Among the UN programmes affected are the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Children and Armed Conflict initiative, which monitors and seeks to prevent violations against children in war zones. The scale of the withdrawals has raised concerns among diplomats and humanitarian groups about potential funding gaps and weakened global coordination.
In a formal statement, Guterres expressed regret over the decision, while underscoring that US financial contributions to the UN’s core and peacekeeping budgets remain binding under international law.
“All United Nations entities will go on implementing the mandates given to them by member states,” Guterres said. “The United Nations has a responsibility to deliver for those who depend on us, and we will continue to do so with determination.”
Funding obligations remain, UN insists
Questions have also been raised over whether Washington can legally withhold its assessed contributions while disengaging from specific programmes. Dujarric was unequivocal in his response, emphasising that such payments are not optional.
“Contributions to the regular budget and the peacekeeping budget are treaty obligations,” he said. “The UN Charter is not à la carte. Membership carries responsibilities, and those responsibilities are clear.”
He noted that the organisation has been operating under financial strain for years and has developed mechanisms to manage budgetary uncertainty, although the latest move will add further pressure.
“We’ve been managing under this financial pressure for some time,” Dujarric said, adding wryly that the UN’s finance teams were working relentlessly to maintain operations.
US frames move as sovereignty push
The Trump administration has defended the withdrawals as part of a broader effort to reclaim American sovereignty and reduce overseas spending on what it describes as ineffective or ideologically driven institutions.
President Trump previously withdrew the US from the World Health Organization, the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Human Rights Council, arguing that such bodies failed to serve US interests. The White House said the latest move would allow resources to be redirected towards domestic priorities, including infrastructure, defence readiness, border security and economic protection.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that view, describing the organisations targeted by the withdrawals as “redundant, mismanaged, wasteful or captured by actors advancing agendas contrary to our own”.
He added that the administration would continue reviewing US participation in other international organisations under Executive Order 14199, signalling that further exits may follow.
UN vows continuity amid uncertainty
Despite the political fallout, UN officials have sought to downplay the immediate operational impact, insisting that work on climate action, child protection, gender equality and humanitarian relief will continue.
Asked whether Guterres was taken aback by the scale of the decision, Dujarric said the Secretary-General remained focused rather than surprised.
“In terms of what’s going on in the world today, he’s beyond the term ‘surprise’,” he said. “He continues, with calm and determination, to defend the Charter and this institution.”
