US Withdraws From 66 Global Bodies Including Maritime Groups

The Trump administration announced yesterday that the United States is withdrawing from 66 organizations, including a combination of non-governmental organizations and United Nations bodies.

Of particular relevance to the shipping sector is the US decision to exit the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (RECAAP). The move also includes withdrawal from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and UN Oceans, the United Nations’ inter-agency coordination mechanism for ocean and coastal matters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the review process, commented on the decision involving the 66 organizations, saying: “The Trump administration has found these institutions to be redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.”

President Trump indicated that the review is not yet complete, noting that further findings from the secretary of state are still under consideration and that additional organizations could face similar action.

Relations between the Trump administration and another UN body, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), have also been tense over the past year. The US walked out of IMO climate discussions last April and later opposed the organization’s Net-zero Framework agreement in October. Despite this, the United States successfully secured reelection in late November to Category (a) of the IMO Council, the executive body responsible for overseeing the organization’s work under the authority of the assembly.