In a swipe at the World Health Organization, the United States has terminated its membership of the global health body, citing inefficient bureaucracy, mismanagement in its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and “failures” imposed on the American people.
A joint statement issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Kennedy noted that going forward, US involvement with WHO will be strictly limited to effecting its withdrawal and protecting the health and safety of the American people.
“All US funding and staffing for all WHO initiatives has been frozen. The United States will continue to lead the world in public health, saving millions of lives and protecting Americans at home by preventing infectious disease threats from reaching home and promoting global health security through direct, bilateral, and results-oriented partnerships,” the statement said.
“We will continue to work with countries and trusted health institutions to share best practices, strengthen preparedness, and protect their communities through a more focused, transparent and effective model that delivers real results rather than WHO’s burdensome and inefficient bureaucracy,” it said.
It also says, “Today, the United States withdraws from the World Health Organization (WHO), thereby releasing itself from its obligations, as President Trump promised by signing EO 14155 on his first day in office. This action is taken in response to WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic and is intended to compensate the American people for the harm those failures have caused. The promises made have been kept.”
The joint statement accused the organization of abandoning its core purpose and acting against the interests of the United States, which is its founding member and largest financial contributor.
The statement further said, “The organization pursued a political and bureaucratic agenda driven by countries hostile to U.S. interests. In doing so, WHO hindered the timely and accurate exchange of critical information that could have saved American lives, and then concealed its failures under the guise of acting in the interest of public health.”
It further said, “Even while leaving the organization, WHO tarnished and denigrated all the work the US had done for it. WHO is refusing to hand over the US flag flying before it, arguing that it did not approve of our withdrawal and in fact claims that we should compensate it. From our days as its primary founder, primary financial supporter and primary advocate, the US continues to be insulted, right up to our last day.”
The statement concluded with these words: “Today we are reversing these injustices and ending the bureaucratic slowness, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest, and international politics that have made this organization beyond repair. We will bring our flag back for the Americans who died alone in nursing homes, for the small businesses that were devastated by the restrictions imposed by WHO, and for the American lives that were destroyed by this organization’s inaction. This step is for them only.”
This termination comes at a time when in January US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from international organizations, conventions and treaties that are “contrary to the interests” of the US.
The announcement was made in a presidential memorandum statement shared by the White House, which noted the withdrawal from 35 non-UN organizations and 31 UN entities.
Major UN organizations with which the US has ended its participation include the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the International Law Commission, the International Trade Centre, the Peacebuilding Commission, the United Nations Energy Fund, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Water Fund.
