UN Chief Says U.S. Replaces 'Power of Law' With 'Law of Power' as Agencies Scale Back U.S. Role After Trump Withdrawals
President Trump ordered the U.S. to suspend support for 66 international organizations — including 31 UN‑linked bodies such as the UNFCCC, IPCC, UNFPA and UN Women — a move the administration cast as pruning “redundant, wasteful” or sovereignty‑threatening institutions but that raises legal questions (notably over the Senate‑ratified UNFCCC), risks funding and staffing cuts, and critics say will cede influence to rivals like China. UN Secretary‑General António Guterres warned the U.S. is privileging “the law of power” over the “power of law,” while UN officials, saying they were blindsided, stressed assessed dues remain legal obligations as agencies brace for disruptions and relocations.
📌 Key Facts
- The Trump administration issued a January 2026 presidential memorandum directing the U.S. to withdraw from 66 international organizations after a broad review; 31 of those 66 are U.N.‑linked bodies.
- Key U.N. climate institutions — including the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — are on the exit list; if the U.S. leaves the UNFCCC it would be the only one of 193 members outside the treaty, and legal experts say unilateral withdrawal is an open question because the UNFCCC was Senate‑ratified (rejoining would require a new two‑thirds Senate ratification).
- The administration, led publicly by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, justified the moves as pruning 'redundant,' 'wasteful,' 'mismanaged' or sovereignty‑threatening institutions, saying the U.S. will no longer write 'blank checks' to international bureaucracies; the withdrawals follow a Feb. 4, 2025 review that was presented to President Trump and his Cabinet.
- The list mixes major U.N. agencies (e.g., UN Population Fund, UN Women, UN Democracy Fund) and smaller or non‑U.N. bodies (examples named across reports include the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, International IDEA, the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the International Solar Alliance and the Global Forum on Migration and Development); some large recipients of U.S. UN funding (such as UNICEF) and some entities (e.g., the International Energy Agency) are not on the list.
- U.N. officials said they received no formal diplomatic notification and learned of the decision through media and White House social posts; Secretary‑General António Guterres stressed that assessed U.N. contributions remain a legal obligation under the U.N. Charter, accused the move of privileging 'the law of power' over 'the power of law,' and the U.N. says affected agencies will continue to operate (the U.N. Development Programme said it will relocate nearly 400 New York posts to Europe).
- Analysts and experts say the most immediate effect will be U.S. funding withdrawals — earlier Trump‑era cuts already forced staffing and program reductions — and that China is likely to benefit by filling vacuums in global institutions; critics warn the U.S. will cede influence over rule‑setting (climate, digital economy and standards), while the administration says it will concentrate U.S. influence in select technical bodies (e.g., ITU, IMO, ILO) to compete with China.
- Observers characterize the policy as a crystallization of a 'my way or the highway' approach and a broader retreat from multilateralism, with U.N. leaders and some lawmakers warning the withdrawals are part of a worrying trend of states turning away from international law and cooperation.
📊 Relevant Data
The United States made a formal offer to purchase Greenland from Denmark in 1946 for $100 million, which was rejected, following earlier interests dating back to the 19th century, including proposals during the Civil War era and World War II strategic considerations.
Proposed United States acquisition of Greenland - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
Greenland's strategic importance to the US includes its role in continental defense, NATO deterrence, and potential for missile defense systems, with the Thule Air Base serving as a key military installation since World War II.
Greenland Is Strategic: But It Is Not a Pawn — German Marshall Fund
As of 2025, Greenland's population is approximately 55,745, with about 81% being Inuit (Greenlandic-born with two Greenland-born parents), and the total population equivalent to 0.00068% of the world population.
Greenland Population (2025) - Worldometer — Worldometer
US intervention in Venezuela in 2025-2026 has led to shifts in migration patterns, with reports of increased movement from Colombia to Ecuador by Venezuelans between May and August 2025, amid ongoing displacement of over 7 million Venezuelans regionally due to economic and political instability.
Three likely scenarios for Venezuela after Donald Trump's meddling — Durham University
The UN Security Council's permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States; reform proposals include the G4 model advocating for additional permanent seats for Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan to better reflect current global demographics and power distribution.
Reform of the United Nations Security Council - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
US withdrawals from international organizations are projected to reduce American influence in global rule-setting on issues like climate and digital standards, potentially allowing China to fill leadership vacuums and leading to funding shortfalls that force program reductions in affected bodies.
Opting Out: United States to Stop Engaging with More UN Entities — CSIS
📰 Source Timeline (12)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 19, 2026
11:24 PM
UN chief accuses US of ditching international law as Trump blasts global bodies
New information:
- António Guterres, in a BBC Radio 4 interview, explicitly accuses the U.S. of believing 'the power of law should be replaced by the law of power' and of sidelining multilateral solutions.
- The UN Development Programme announced it will relocate nearly 400 New York–based posts to Europe, moving most of them to Germany and Spain.
- Guterres publicly renews his call to reform the UN Security Council, criticizing its gridlock and the fact that 'three European countries' hold permanent seats, which he says fails to reflect the modern world.
- The piece reprises Trump’s September 2025 speech to the UN Security Council where he said the UN 'is not solving the problems it should' and mocked it for issuing only 'strongly worded letters.'
January 18, 2026
9:11 PM
United Nations leaders bemoan global turmoil as the General Assembly turns 80
New information:
- Guterres publicly connected the underfunding of UN agencies and unpaid national dues 'including the United States' to limits on the UN’s humanitarian and climate‑change work.
- The London anniversary speeches explicitly cast Trump’s withdrawal from 31 UN agencies as part of a broader trend of states 'trampling' international law and turning away from multilateralism.
- UNGA President Baerbock, a former German foreign minister, framed the moment as one in which 'the United Nations currently needs you to stand up for it, to defend it, and to get engaged,' signaling that UN leadership is now openly lobbying civil society to counter member‑state retrenchment.
- The ceremony’s venue—Methodist Central Hall in London, where the first UNGA met in 1946—is highlighted to emphasize the contrast between founders’ post‑war optimism and current institutional fragility.
January 10, 2026
8:07 PM
State Department declares 'international bureaucracies' will no longer get 'blank checks' from the US
New information:
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a State Department memo on Substack declaring that the U.S. is 'rejecting the outdated model of multilateralism' and that 'the era of writing blank check to international bureaucracies is over.'
- Rubio’s memo describes the current international system as 'overrun with hundreds of opaque international organizations' with overlapping mandates, 'ineffective outputs,' and 'poor financial and ethical governance,' and labels some as 'platforms for politicized activism or instruments contrary to our nation’s best interests.'
- The article details that Trump’s January 2026 presidential memorandum followed a Feb. 4, 2025 order instructing Rubio and the U.S. UN representative to review all international organizations, conventions and treaties for consistency with U.S. interests, and that the findings were presented to Trump and deliberated with his Cabinet before he approved withdrawing from 66 entities.
- Rubio is quoted as saying that continued participation in the listed organizations 'would be an abandonment of our national duty,' while insisting the policy does not mean U.S. retreat from global leadership but a rejection of the prior multilateral model.
- The piece enumerates some affected organizations — including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Women, the UN Democracy Fund, the International Solar Alliance and the Global Forum on Migration and Development — as examples of the 66 targeted bodies.
January 09, 2026
11:10 PM
UN chief says the U.S. has 'legal obligation' to fund agencies after Trump's withdrawal order
New information:
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres, via spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, states that assessed contributions to the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets remain a 'legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States.'
- UN officials say they received no formal diplomatic notification from the U.S. about withdrawal from the 31 UN-related agencies and learned of the decision through media and White House social media posts.
- The article notes that UN leaders had previously persuaded Trump not to fully abandon the institution through efforts including a $2 billion humanitarian assistance agreement, but were nevertheless surprised by the latest withdrawal order.
- UN staff say targeted agencies and initiatives will continue operating despite the U.S. announcement, emphasizing a responsibility to 'deliver for those who depend on us.'
- Diplomats at the UN indicate that the new U.S. withdrawal announcement came after a year-long review and follows earlier suspensions of U.S. support for WHO, UNRWA, the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO.
10:25 PM
Trump exits global bodies in the name of ‘America First.’ Who benefits?
New information:
- Frames explicitly that China is the key beneficiary of the U.S. withdrawal, with experts saying Beijing has been stepping into roles vacated by Washington in global institutions.
- Includes detailed expert analysis from Stewart Patrick of the Carnegie Endowment highlighting that 'power abhors a vacuum' and that China will 'jump in to determine the direction the world will go in.'
- Provides reaction from Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking member of House Foreign Affairs, warning the withdrawals will cede influence over rules for the global digital economy and raise costs for U.S. businesses.
- Clarifies that not all 66 organizations are central to U.S. interests and cites specific minor bodies (e.g., International Lead and Zinc Study Group, International Cotton Advisory Committee, Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories) as examples of symbolic cuts.
- Further characterizes the move as serving 'symbolic politics' to satisfy anti‑globalist sentiment at relatively low cost in some cases, adding nuance to the policy motivation beyond the raw list of bodies.
January 08, 2026
9:26 PM
Why is the U.S. pulling out of 31 U.N. groups? And what's the impact?
New information:
- Confirms that 31 of the 66 organizations named in Trump’s executive order are UN entities, and lists categories including UN Women, UN Population Fund and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, plus smaller offices like the SRSG on Violence Against Children.
- Clarifies that major UN bodies such as UNICEF are not on the withdrawal list, underscoring that large recipients of U.S. UN funding are "largely unaddressed" by the order.
- Provides the Trump administration’s stated rationale in the order language that these bodies "undermine America’s independence and waste taxpayer dollars on ineffective or hostile agendas."
- Includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement arguing that it is no longer acceptable to send such institutions "the blood, sweat, and treasure of the American people, with little to nothing to show for it," and calling them "mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful and poorly run."
- Quotes a formal UN statement noting that assessed contributions to the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all member states, including the U.S., despite the White House announcement.
- Adds expert reaction from Nina Schwalbe (Georgetown Center for Global Policy and Politics), who characterizes the move as a broad withdrawal from multilateralism with wide‑ranging implications, and from Brett Schaefer (AEI), who says the move is "pruning around the margins" and a "missed opportunity."
10:30 AM
Trump Pulls U.S. Out of More Than 30 U.N. Bodies
New information:
- This article specifies that 31 of the 66 targeted organizations are U.N.-linked bodies.
- It frames the covered U.N. commissions and climate-related bodies collectively as 'major bodies set up to tackle climate change,' adding emphasis on climate organizations within the 66.
- It reiterates the executive order’s public justification that these groups are 'contrary to the interests of the United States,' consistent with but more concise than prior descriptions.
3:34 AM
U.S. to withdraw from 66 international organizations, White House says
New information:
- CBS specifies that the withdrawal includes the UN population agency (UNFPA) and confirms the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) itself is among the 66 targeted bodies, emphasizing that the U.S. will be the only country outside the treaty.
- The article lists several non‑UN organizations on the exit list — the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, International IDEA and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.
- It adds contextual reporting that prior funding cuts have already forced staffing and program reductions at parts of the UN system and some U.S.-funded NGOs following earlier Trump-era aid reductions through USAID.
- It quotes International Crisis Group’s Daniel Forti saying the move crystallizes a 'my way or the highway' U.S. approach to multilateralism under Trump.
- It notes the administration plans to redirect influence toward standard‑setting UN technical bodies it is keeping, such as the International Telecommunications Union, International Maritime Organization and ILO.
1:53 AM
U.S. to exit 66 international organizations in further retreat from global cooperation
New information:
- AP/NPR article specifies that one key target is 'the U.N. treaty that establishes international climate negotiations' — i.e., the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change infrastructure — confirming the climate-negotiation dimension of the withdrawal.
- Identifies the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) as among the UN agencies losing U.S. support, expanding the list of affected organizations beyond climate and democracy bodies already noted.
- Provides an on‑the‑record statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio framing the 66 institutions as 'redundant,' 'mismanaged,' 'unnecessary,' 'wasteful' or a 'threat to our nation's sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.'
- Quotes Daniel Forti of the International Crisis Group characterizing the shift as a 'crystallization' of a 'my way or the highway' U.S. approach to multilateralism.
- Adds contextual linkage to other recent Trump‑era moves that have 'rattled allies,' including the raid capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and open talk of taking over Greenland.
- Reiterates that the administration is taking an 'a‑la‑carte' approach to UN dues, prioritizing bodies like the ITU, IMO and ILO where it wants to compete with China, while withdrawing from others.
1:08 AM
Trump pulls U.S. from 66 global organizations, including key UN climate agencies
New information:
- Confirms that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are explicitly on Trump’s 66‑organization withdrawal list.
- Notes that the UNFCCC is a Senate‑ratified treaty (ratified in 1992 under President George H. W. Bush) and that whether a president can unilaterally withdraw from such a treaty is an 'open legal question,' citing Columbia law professor Michael Gerrard.
- States that if the U.S. leaves, it would be the only one of the UN’s 193 member states outside the UNFCCC and would lose its vote in future treaty decisions, with only observer status possible under a future administration.
- Explains that rejoining the UNFCCC would require a new two‑thirds Senate ratification, described as a 'Herculean effort' in today’s polarized Congress.
- Highlights that the Trump administration was already largely absent from the November UN climate talks in Brazil, signaling this move, and that U.S. funding withdrawals are expected to be the biggest tangible impact for many affected organizations.
- Includes critical reactions from environmental and climate-policy figures such as World Resources Institute’s David Widawsky and former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, who warn of lost clean‑energy leadership and economic opportunities.
- Clarifies that the International Energy Agency is notably not on the exit list despite earlier tensions with the administration.
12:45 AM
U.S. will leave 66 international organizations as Trump further retreats from global cooperation
New information:
- Article specifies that the order suspends U.S. support for 66 organizations after a broad Trump administration review of all international and UN‑affiliated bodies.
- Names examples of affected entities beyond the UN system, including the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.
- Details that most targeted bodies are UN‑related agencies, commissions and advisory panels focused on climate, labor, migration and issues the administration labels as 'woke' or diversity‑oriented.
- Provides the State Department’s formal justification that these institutions are 'redundant,' 'wasteful,' 'poorly run' or 'a threat to our nation's sovereignty' in a public statement.
- Sets this move in context of prior Trump withdrawals or funding suspensions from WHO, UNRWA, the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO, and notes broader cuts to USAID foreign assistance.
- Includes analysis/quote from Daniel Forti (International Crisis Group) characterizing the policy as a 'my way or the highway' approach to multilateralism.
January 07, 2026