Updated Feb 4, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Trump withdraws U.S. from UN human rights council a second time

Barak Ravid

President Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday withdrawing the U.S. from the UN Human Rights Council and stopping funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, which provides services to Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.

Why it matters: Trump had also pulled the United States from the Human Rights Council and UNRWA during his first term, which former President Biden reversed.

Yes, but: Last year the Biden administration suspended U.S. funding to UNRWA after Israel accused some agency staffers of being involved in the October 7 terror attack.

Congress last year stopped all U.S. funding to UNRWA until March 2025.
Trump's plan to sign the orders was first reported by Politico.

Driving the news: Trump signed the orders before a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Israel passed a bill recently that bans all contact with UNRWA. It also opposes the UN human rights council and sees it as a biased and anti-Israeli UN organ.

What they're saying: Trump told reporters at the Oval office on Monday ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu that he has no assurances that the ceasefire in Gaza will hold.

"It is holding so far. We are hopeful (it will hold) and the President's direction is to get the hostages out and reach a peaceful settlement," Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Monday.

This story was updated after Trump signed the orders.

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Trump withdraws U.S. from UN human rights council a second time

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