The headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva. A year ago, President Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the global agency. But what about those unpaid dues.
Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/via Getty Images
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Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/via Getty Images
A year ago this week, President Trump initiated a divorce — of sorts. As night fell on his inauguration day activities, he signed an executive order saying: He wants out of the World Health Organization, or WHO.
His executive order laid out his displeasures, including “the organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states.”
It was Trump’s second time heading for the exit. He started the process of withdrawing the U.S. from WHO in 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic. President Biden reversed that decision on his first day.
Now — on Trump’s second go-around — the divorce seems about to be finalized. He gave one year’s notice, which is a condition of the U.S. agreement with WHO.
But as with many divorces, it’s complicated.
WHO officials note that there are two requirements to leaving. The first is that one-year notice. That would set the date for U.S. withdrawal as Jan. 22, a year after WHO officials were notified.
The other criteria is the potential problem. In order to leave, the U.S. has to pay all the dues it owes. And that’s a lot of money: $278 million for the 2024-2025 period.
The U.S. has not paid up and doesn’t plan to. “The United States will not be making any payments to the WHO before our withdrawal,” the State Department told NPR in a statement. “The cost born by the U.S. taxpayer and U.S. economy after the WHO’s failure during the Covid pandemic — and since — has been too high as it is.”
“This is a very, very public and messy divorce,” says Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University and the director of WHO’s Center on National and Global Health Law. “The man says, ‘No, I’m not going to pay you any money, and we’re no longer married.’ And the woman says, ‘No, you can’t not be married unless you pay me.'”
The stakes of this high-profile breakup are huge. They could shape the health of both Americans and those around the world for years to come. Here’s how it could play out.
Promise ring or not, the U.S. is out
The World Health Organization has 194 member nations. Officially, none of them can pull out of WHO. That’s according to its constitution, which has no clause that allows for withdrawal.
“This was not an oversight. It was very deliberate,” says Steven Solomon, WHO’s principal legal officer. “The drafters understood the historic struggles against the international spread of disease, and they saw how a truly universal organization would make the world safer. The decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) has caused quite a stir. The U.S., known for its “no quitting” policy, made an exception in 1948 allowing itself the right to withdraw, with the issue of dues still looming. Despite the unlawful act of leaving without paying, there seems to be no legal hindrance for the president to proceed with the withdrawal.
The State Department’s dismissive attitude towards WHO’s opinions makes it clear that the U.S. is determined to leave. However, the hope remains that the U.S. will reconsider its decision and rejoin, as emphasized by WHO’s director-general.
The repercussions of this withdrawal are significant, especially in the realm of global health security. The potential loss of access to crucial networks and expertise could leave the U.S. and the world vulnerable to infectious diseases. While some view this break-up as a tragedy, others believe there are still avenues for collaboration outside of WHO.
As discussions unfold within WHO regarding the U.S. withdrawal, the implications of this decision remain to be seen. The U.S. may face a lockout from vital resources, posing risks to public health on a global scale.
Despite the rift, maintaining some level of engagement between the U.S. and WHO is crucial for addressing future health challenges. Building a global surveillance system outside of WHO would be a daunting task, highlighting the importance of continued cooperation.
In the end, the U.S.’s decision to withdraw from WHO may have lasting consequences on global health security. It is a complex issue that requires careful consideration and collaboration to mitigate potential risks. passage in a different way:
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