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US withdraws from the World Health Organization

20 January 2025 · written 8 June 2026

On 20 January 2025 President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14155, “Withdrawing the United States From the World Health Organization,” directing the Secretary of State and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs to notify the WHO and the UN Secretary-General of US withdrawal, to pause “the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO,” to recall and reassign US personnel detailed to the WHO, and to identify alternative partners for WHO-led activities.1 US assessed contributions accounted for approximately 22 per cent of WHO’s assessed dues for the 2024–25 biennium; once voluntary contributions are included, the US share of WHO’s total programme budget was roughly 16 per cent.2 The WHO Constitution itself contains no withdrawal clause; the one-year- notice-and-dues conditions derive from a reservation attached by the United States in the 1948 Joint Resolution (Pub. L. 80-643, 62 Stat. 441) on accession, under which the United States may withdraw on one year’s written notice and after meeting its current-year financial obligations to the Organization.34 Companion same-day instruments include Executive Order 14162 (directing US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement), Executive Order 14163 (suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program under INA § 207, 8 U.S.C. § 1157), and Executive Order 14169 (“Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid”).567

  1. WHO programmes funded from US assessed and voluntary contributions lose those budget lines on the agency’s published payment schedule.8 Programmes that do not bridge the shortfall from other member states or private funders curtail activities in proportion to the lost contribution.

  2. US public-health agencies lose seats on WHO technical bodies and votes at the World Health Assembly during the notice period. Membership and Assembly rights are addressed in Chapter III (Arts. 3–8) and Chapter V (Arts. 18–23) of the WHO Constitution.9 Bilateral and regional health- security agreements, which do not depend on WHO membership, continue.

  3. Surveillance and data-sharing under the International Health Regulations (2005) continue insofar as the IHR binds States Parties; US obligations under the IHR are independent of WHO membership.10

Footnotes

  1. Executive Order 14155, “Withdrawing the United States From the World Health Organization,” 90 Fed. Reg. 8361 (Jan. 29, 2025) (FR Doc. 2025-01957). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/29/2025-01957/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-world-health-organization ↩

  2. World Health Organization, “Assessed contributions payable by Member States and Associate Members in 2024–25.” https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/ac-docs-2024-2025/assessed-contributions-payable-by-member-states-and-associate-members-in-2024-25.pdf ↩

  3. Joint Resolution providing for membership and participation by the United States in the World Health Organization, Pub. L. 80-643, 62 Stat. 441 (1948). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-62/pdf/STATUTE-62-Pg441.pdf ↩

  4. Congressional Research Service, “Withdrawal from the World Health Organization: Legal Basis and Implications,” LSB10489. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10489 ↩

  5. Executive Order 14162, “Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements,” 90 Fed. Reg. 8455 (Jan. 30, 2025) (FR Doc. 2025-02010). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02010/putting-america-first-in-international-environmental-agreements ↩

  6. Executive Order 14163, “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” 90 Fed. Reg. 8459 (Jan. 30, 2025) (FR Doc. 2025-02011). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02011/realigning-the-united-states-refugee-admissions-program ↩

  7. Executive Order 14169, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” 90 Fed. Reg. 8619 (Jan. 30, 2025) (FR Doc. 2025-02091). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/30/2025-02091/reevaluating-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid ↩

  8. World Health Organization, Programme Budget 2024-2025, contributors view (assessed and voluntary contributions by Member State). https://open.who.int/2024-25/contributors/contributor ↩

  9. Constitution of the World Health Organization (1946), Chapter III (Arts. 3–8, membership), Chapter V (Arts. 18–23, Health Assembly). https://apps.who.int/gb/bd/pdf/bd47/en/constitution-en.pdf ↩

  10. International Health Regulations (2005), adopted by World Health Assembly Resolution WHA58.3 (23 May 2005), in force 15 June 2007. https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA58/WHA58_3-en.pdf ↩

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