The United States has withdrawn its membership from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and President Donald Trump has formally stopped U.S. funding to the organization. The decision was made through an executive order issued on Tuesday, February 4.
The U.S. had previously suspended funding to the UNHRC in October 2023, accusing the council of supporting Hamas’s attacks on Israel. In addition to the withdrawal from the human rights council, Trump also ordered the cessation of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides aid to Palestinian refugees.
The new executive order also directs a review of U.S. relations with UNESCO, citing concerns over alleged discrimination in funding allocation.
Hours after the U.S. decision, Israel followed suit, also announcing its withdrawal from the UNHRC, accusing the council of bias against Israel.
The U.S. had previously withdrawn from the UNHRC during Trump’s first term in 2018, with the decision being driven by allegations of the council’s bias against Israel, as stated by Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the UN at that time.
While the United States and Israel are not currently members of the UNHRC, the council works on the human rights situations of all UN member states.
The UNHRC, based in Geneva, consists of 47 member countries, which serve on a rotating basis for four-year terms. Member countries are elected through other UN member states.