US Retreat from Multilateralism

• 13 Jan 2026

For Prelims: Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Paris Agreement 2015, World Health Organization (WHO), UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM), National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) 2023, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)           

For Mains: Implications of US withdrawal from international organizations and agreements, and steps needed by India to overcome these challenges.   

Source: TH 

Why in News? 

The US has withdrawn from 66 international organisations, including 31 UN bodies, citing national interest considerations under the “America First” approach—echoing similar exits during the earlier Trump presidency. 

• By stepping away from key climate institutions such as the UNFCCC, the US risks weakening global climate governance and constraining climate finance for developing countries. 

What are the Likely Implications of US Withdrawal from International Bodies? 

• Geopolitical and Strategic Vacuum: China has systematically increased representation in UN technical bodies (ITU, FAO, ICAO). US withdrawal removes a counterbalancing veto-player, not just a voice.  
  • Historically, similar actions (e.g., US withdrawal from UNESCO in 2017, later reversed) led to a 22% funding gap in that organization. 
• Climate Governance & Finance: Withdrawing from the UNFCCC would legally remove the US, the largest cumulative emitter (around 24% of historical CO₂), from the climate treaty, ending its formal role in shaping critical COP rules. This move would also damage its international reputation, making it harder to negotiate effectively in other unrelated areas.  
  • This exit risks giving cover to other reluctant governments and hardening the positions of developing countries who see it as a failure of leadership from a top current emitter (12.7% of global CO₂ in 2024). 
  • Adaptation finance is already far below the estimated USD 310–365 billion per year, and reduced US willingness to contribute can worsen North–South trust asymmetry and harden developing country positions in negotiations. 
• Peacebuilding/Human Security Spillovers: The US withdrawal from UN peacebuilding mechanisms undermines its security goals and risks destabilization that can create future security threats requiring costlier military solutions. By cutting funding for efforts addressing health, climate displacement, and conflict prevention, it endangers human rights and may exacerbate climate-induced migration for up to 200 million people by 2050. 
• Economic/Trade Competitiveness: US exporters become more exposed to foreign climate-linked trade measures, such as carbon border adjustments, as the US forfeits its role in shaping these international norms. This raises the overall “cost of doing climate business” and risks isolating US industry from evolving global standards. 
• Reduced Aid and Technical Assistance: US withdrawals from UN bodies often correlate with aid cuts, such as the 2017 defunding of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which impacted reproductive health programs in Africa and Asia. Furthermore, exits from science and education bodies restrict vital technology transfer to the Global South.

Major International Organizations and Agreements from Which the United States has Withdrawn 

• UN Treaties and Climate Bodies: 
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): The core global climate treaty underpinning COP negotiations and the Paris Agreement 2015. 
  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): The world’s leading scientific body assessing climate change. 
• Climate, Environment, and Biodiversity Institutions: 
  • International Solar Alliance (ISA): India-led initiative that promotes global cooperation on solar energy. 
  • International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Global authority on biodiversity conservation. 
  • Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): Assesses biodiversity and ecosystem health. 
  • UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+): Combat climate change by making forests more valuable standing than cut down. 
  • UN Energy: Coordinates UN system-wide energy-related work. 
  • Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development: Works closely with the UN on sustainable mining. 
• Demography and Electoral Bodies:  
  • UN Population Fund (UNFPA): Focuses on reproductive health, population data, and gender equality. 
  • International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA): Supports democratic institutions and processes. 
• Security and Counter-Terrorism: Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF), a multilateral platform for counter-terrorism cooperation. 
• Previously Withdrawn: Paris Agreement, World Health Organization (WHO), UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

How can India Respond to the US Withdrawal from Multilateral Institutions? 

• Lead Climate Coalitions Proactively: India should move from participation to agenda-setting leadership in platforms like the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), helping sustain global climate momentum amid US disengagement. 
• Secure Alternative Climate Finance: To counteract likely frozen US contributions to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Global Environment Facility (GEF), India must diversify its climate finance by aggressively pitching projects to other donors (EU, UK, Japan, Nordic countries) and blending finance from multilateral development banks (MDBs). 
• Build Resilience to Carbon Border Measures: Anticipating that the US exit may accelerate EU-style Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM), India must decarbonize key export sectors like steel, cement, and aluminium by accelerating its National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) 2023 and Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). 
• Become a Green Tech Hub: Aim for Atmanirbharta by scaling up PLI schemes for solar PV, batteries, and electrolyzers, and by becoming a global exporter of IAEA-safeguarded small modular reactors (SMRs) as a low-carbon baseload alternative. 
• Invest in Science, Technology, and Innovation: To counter reduced US involvement, India must strengthen climate science networks and support technology transfer in green hydrogen, battery storage, and carbon capture. It must also significantly increase its public and private R&D expenditure in climate technology to drive innovation and competitiveness. 

Conclusion 

The US withdrawal from multilateral bodies creates a vacuum in global governance, jeopardizing climate action, finance, and security. India must respond by championing reformed multilateralism, leading climate coalitions, securing alternative finance, and enhancing green-tech self-reliance to protect its national interests and those of the Global South. 

Drishti Mains Question:

How does US disengagement from multilateral institutions reshape global geopolitics and climate finance architecture?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. Why is the US withdrawal from UNFCCC problematic? 
It removes the world’s largest cumulative emitter (around 24% historical CO₂) from the core legal framework governing COP negotiations and Paris Agreement implementation. 

2. How does US exit affect climate finance for developing countries? 
It weakens funding predictability for mechanisms like the GCF and GEF, impacting adaptation, mitigation, and loss-and-damage finance. 

3. What are the geopolitical consequences of US withdrawal? 
It creates a leadership vacuum in global governance, allowing rivals like China to gain agenda-setting influence in UN institutions. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims

Q. With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2016)

1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN, and it will go into effect in 2017. 
2. The Agreement aims to limit the greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2ºC or even 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels. 
3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $ 1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change. 

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

(a) 1 and 3 only 

(b) 2 only 

(c) 2 and 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3 

Ans: (b)

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Mains 

Q. Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (2021) 

Q. Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (2021)