What President Trump’s Withdrawal from the UNHCR Means for the Future of the United States and Palestine

Mother consoles child in a refugee camp after fleeing Gaza. (Refugee Council of Australia)

President Trump signed an executive order pulling the United States out of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) on February 4, citing the international governing body’s lack of efficiency and cooperation. Israel stated it would also be pulling out of the UNHCR on February 6, sending a clear alignment of political intent between the two allies. 

These withdrawals have effects far beyond simply leaving the council. The international body protects the rights of refugees globally by ensuring human rights are upheld when refugees are displaced, and providing necessary resources when immigration occurs. Without international cooperation and an overseeing governmental body, competing political interests are likely to add to existing tension in Gaza. All of this comes as Trump has made public statements expressing his interest in taking over Gaza and the resettlement of refugees, prompting international outcry. Many Palestinians have expressed their refusal to leave the area, prompting questions about whether Trump’s plan will be possible. Trump has stated the United States will not fund relocation costs, making it unclear where the unsettled people would go. Furthermore, without the oversight of a UN governing body, concerns have arisen about human rights violations and the possibility of genocide carried out by the Israeli government.

Scholars and policymakers have long contested the governing power and importance of the UNHCR. The committee’s proposed guidelines and recommendations carry no legal weight, and a law and treaty are only legally binding for states who ratify it. Moreover, Trump has raised concerns over the economic burden the UN places on the United States. The United States gave $18 billion to the UN in 2022, the most of any country. All 193 members are required to pay a certain amount to the UN for administrative purposes. Still, many councils of the UN, including the UNHCR, rely on additional donations. Of the $18 billion given in 2022, the US gave $2 billion to the UNHCR, but this contribution remains relatively small per capita. Many critics have argued that the United States should contribute even more, considering the country’s overall GDP. On the other hand, many see the value in the UN because it provides an international forum, which is crucial for generating international pressure. This often changes the outcome of a crisis, as is best exemplified by the UN’s tariffs on South Africa, which contributed to the end of apartheid in 1990.

These developments reflect a broader tendency of Trump to mistrust and withdraw from global organizations. When he took office in 2016, he withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) and withdrew again when he took office this year. Trump’s policies have led to the polarization of the UN, with more conservative voters viewing it significantly less favorably than liberal-learning voters. There are additional questions about whether the wider public supports Israel’s political strategy and the U.S.’s close alignment of the state. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center has cited that 66% of Americans view the way Israel conducted the Hamas war as completely unacceptable. 

It is clear that as the Israel-Hamas War has come to a close, there are growing divisions, both domestically and internationally, about the future of Palestine and the role the UNHCR should play in it. The specifics of a post-war Gaza remain contested, but what is known is that this conflict will have long-lasting implications for many inside and outside of the Middle East.