The United States under President Donald Trump has ordered federal agencies to begin withdrawing from a range of international organisations, a move that will directly affect several United Nations bodies dedicated to Africa’s development, diplomacy and global advocacy.
- The U.S. government has initiated a directive to withdraw from several international organizations, including key United Nations bodies
- This decision aligns with a broader foreign policy shift prioritizing national sovereignty and internal interests over multilateral engagements.
- African governments will be significantly impacted as U.S. withdraws participation in forums on development financing, policy coordination
- Organizations such as ECA and the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa have historically been key in elevating African concerns and priorities within the UN.
The directive, issued through a presidential memorandum following a review ordered under Executive Order 14199, instructs Washington to cease participation in or funding to 66 multilateral institutions deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States,” including UN entities whose work is deeply intertwined with Africa’s economic and political engagement with the world.
Among the bodies named are:
- The UN Economic and Social Council’s Economic Commission for Africa
- The Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, and
- The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
Together, these institutions serve as key channels through which African governments, regional blocs and diaspora communities interact with the UN system on development financing, policy coordination, debt relief, trade, governance and social inclusion.
For decades, they have also been among the main platforms through which African priorities have been elevated inside the UN’s decision-making machinery.
Africa’s relationship with Washington defined by strict policies
The decision fits squarely into the broader pattern of Trump’s second-term foreign policy, which has prioritised national sovereignty, domestic economic interests and strict control over immigration over multilateral engagement.
Since returning to office, Trump has moved aggressively to curtail refugee admissions, tighten visa and migration pathways, and reduce US participation in international institutions that he and his allies argue dilute American influence or impose external constraints on US policy.
Africa has been particularly exposed to this shift, both through tougher immigration enforcement and through the rollback of diplomatic and development channels that traditionally connected Washington to the continent.
The Economic Commission for Africa plays a central role in advising African governments on economic reforms, industrialisation strategies and integration under frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Office of the Special Adviser on Africa acts as a bridge between African leaders and the UN Secretary-General, while the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent amplifies the voices of African and diaspora communities on issues ranging from racism to economic exclusion.
A US withdrawal from these bodies removes not only funding but also political weight from platforms that have historically shaped international approaches to Africa’s growth and social justice.
For African governments, the move raises concerns about a shrinking US footprint in multilateral development and diplomacy just as the continent faces rising debt pressures, security challenges and a fragile global economy.
