According to a document obtained by Politico, President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Tuesday, withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council and halting future funding for the relief agency UNWRA.
These actions, which restore policies from Trump’s previous administration, coincide with his meeting on Tuesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
The US has long criticized the Human Rights Council for its “chronic bias” against Israel and shielding governments with abysmal human rights records. The decision also follows the Biden administration’s suspension of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following reports that its employees had ties to Hamas and were involved in the October 7 atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians.
Reuters reported that a UN Human Rights Council working group was planning to review the US human rights record this coming August, as part of a routine evaluation that all countries undergo every few years. Although the council lacks legally binding authority, its discussions hold political significance, and criticism can increase international pressure on governments to adjust their policies. This may have been another reason for Trump’s departure: what’s the point in paying for a session of rebuke, care of Iran, Russia, and China?
The move by the Trump administration also comes amid uncertainty over the future of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which plays a role in promoting human rights abroad. Concerns have been raised about whether the agency aligns with the president’s “America First” policy and how its funding is being allocated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused USAID of “rank insubordination,” stating, “We had no choice but to bring this thing under control.” In an exclusive interview with Fox News in El Salvador, Rubio criticized the agency for being “completely unresponsive” and announced that he would take over as acting director of the humanitarian organization.
“They don’t consider that they work for the US,” Rubio told Fox News. “They just think they’re a global entity and that their master is the globe and not the United States. That’s not what the statute says, and that’s not sustainable.”
