US exits UN-HRC

President Trump has signed an order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and will not continue funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

5 Feb 2025

Source: ChatGPT.

The UNRWA provides health and education services, as well as aid to millions of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

This decision followed accusations from Israel that UNRWA harboured Hamas militants involved in the 7 October, 2023, attacks in southern Israel—an allegation that UNRWA denies.

The US was UNRWA's largest donor, contributing between $300m and $400m annually.

Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, 4 February 2025, the same day he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government has long accused the Human Rights Council and UNRWA of bias against Israel and antisemitism.

UN funding review

Trump’s executive orders also mandate a review of US participation in the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and an assessment of US funding for the UN, citing “wild disparities” in financial contributions among member countries.

Trump's move to withdraw from the UNHRC mirrors the United States' withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 19 June, 2018 during his first administration.

At the time, the US criticised the inclusion of countries with poor human rights records (such as China, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia), arguing that these nations used their positions to shield themselves from scrutiny. The US rejoined the UNHRC in 2021 under President Biden.