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Add to Preferred SourcesPresident Donald Trump has formally moved to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The president had made his intentions clear in late May, accusing the WHO of being under China’s control in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite calls from the EU and others, he said he would pull out of the UN agency and redirect funds elsewhere.
He has now notified the UN and Congress of his intentions, although the process could take at least a year.
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN secretary-general, confirmed the US had notified it of its withdrawal, effective as of 6 July 2021.
A senior US administration official said that Washington had detailed the reforms that it wanted the WHO to make and engaged with it directly, but that the WHO had refused to act.
“Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship,” the official was quoted as saying.
The US is the global health agency’s largest single contributor, providing more than $400m (£324m; €360m) in 2019, around 15% of its total budget.
Under a Congress resolution in 1948, the US can withdraw but must give a year’s notice and should pay outstanding fees, although it is unclear where Mr. Trump stands on that. Mr. Dujarric stressed that those conditions should be met.
The withdrawal will call into question the WHO’s financial viability and the future of its many programmes promoting healthcare and tackling diseases.
Original source: BBC
Published on 07 July 2020