International

Trump signs decree to withdraw from UN human rights council

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a decree withdrawing the United States from the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), according to an announcement made by the White House press office on Tuesday, February 4, reported by DW.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Will Scharf accused the UN institutions of having an "anti-American bias." The decree signed by Trump also includes a review of U.S. participation in UNESCO, the UN agency responsible for education, science, and culture.

"In general terms, the decree calls for a reassessment of U.S. funding for the UN, given the significant differences in contributions among member states," Scharf stated.

At the signing of the document, Donald Trump stated, "I have always believed the UN holds immense potential. But today, that potential is not being realized. The organization is poorly managed and fails to fulfill its mission."

U.S. as the primary donor to UNRWA

U.S. funding for UNRWA was suspended in January 2024, under President Joe Biden's administration, following Israel's accusations that 12 agency employees had ties to the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Subsequently, several countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia, followed the U.S. example by halting their funding. However, countries like Canada, Sweden, and Italy later resumed their contributions.

Until that time, the U.S. had been the largest donor to UNRWA, contributing between $300-400 million annually. During his first term (2017-2021), Trump had also halted funding to the agency.

Increased pressure on Iran

In another decree signed on Tuesday, Donald Trump ordered an escalation of pressure on Iran, demanding that the Tehran regime permanently abandon its nuclear weapons program. "It is a very tough document," Trump stated, expressing his willingness to negotiate directly with the President of Iran.

The decrees signed by Trump come amid an official visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

Bogdan Nigai

Bogdan Nigai

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