In a statement issued on Friday, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, Erika Guevara Rosas, said the move represented “a vindictive and reckless assault on the legitimacy and integrity of the United Nations” and the multilateral system that has underpinned international cooperation for nearly eight decades
Amnesty International has condemned the United States government’s announcement that it is withdrawing from 66 international organisations, conventions and treaties, describing the decision as a deliberate attempt to undermine global cooperation and the rules-based international order.
In a statement issued on Friday, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, Erika Guevara Rosas, said the move represented “a vindictive and reckless assault on the legitimacy and integrity of the United Nations” and the multilateral system that has underpinned international cooperation for nearly eight decades
Guevara Rosas accused President Donald Trump of intensifying efforts to dismantle a system the United States helped to establish after World War II to guarantee universal human rights and global protection.
She said the announcement was deceptive, noting that the U.S. had already disengaged from or defunded many of the organisations listed.
“This is yet another troubling example of the Trump administration’s callous disregard for international law and global commitments,” she said, citing areas such as development, climate action, ending violence against children and gender equality.
She highlighted the withdrawal from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), describing the agency as critical in combating gender-based violence and supporting millions of women and girls worldwide.
Amnesty noted that the administration had previously defunded the agency before formally announcing its withdrawal.
Guevara Rosas also criticised the administration for what she described as overt racial discrimination, particularly referencing comments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that cited “DEI mandates” as justification for leaving certain bodies.
She said the decision to withdraw from the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent amounts to “a deliberate act of racism and institutional sabotage,” especially as the U.S. had already disengaged from the forum.
Amnesty further warned that the withdrawals would have far-reaching consequences, both domestically and globally
The organisation said it was especially alarmed by the U.S. decision to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, describing the move as unprecedented.
“The United States will be the only country to have done so,” Guevara Rosas said, adding that exiting key climate bodies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change would undermine global climate action and weaken efforts to protect Americans from the impacts of climate change.
The human rights group also raised alarm over the U.S. withdrawal from peacebuilding mechanisms, saying the decision contradicted Washington’s stated commitment to prioritising peace and security.
Amnesty described the move as especially troubling amid threats of military action against several countries and the administration’s call for a $1.5 trillion military budget.
According to Amnesty International, the combined effect of the withdrawals could contribute to global destabilisation, deepen human rights abuses and disproportionately harm marginalised communities around the world.
The organisation urged UN member states and international institutions to act swiftly to defend the multilateral system and international legal frameworks, calling for robust action and meaningful reforms to preserve accountability, uphold standards and protect human rights globally.