CoNGO Statement Regarding the U.S. Withdrawal from Multilateral Institutions (U.S. Presidential Executive Order, January 7, 2026)

For nearly 78 years, the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) has stood as a steadfast champion of the principles and values enshrined in the United Nations Charter—a binding commitment by all Member States. Our support for the UN system has always been principled: we have celebrated progress, challenged shortcomings, and held both the UN and its Member States accountable to the Charter’s vision of peace, justice, and human dignity.

The United Nations system, with the active engagement of civil society, has delivered tangible progress for peoples everywhere — advancing peace, development, social justice, gender equity, environmental stewardship, education, and health. CoNGO has consistently called for robust and timely support for the UN, recognizing that its mandates are determined by governments but realized through collective action.
Against this backdrop, CoNGO is both astounded and deeply dismayed by the recent announcement that a Permanent Member of the Security Council will withdraw from 66 international organizations, including UN entities, research institutions, and programmatic bodies. This action threatens to undermine the very architecture of international cooperation painstakingly built over eight decades. It challenges the legal and moral foundations of multilateralism, jeopardizing the rules-based order that has benefited all nations and peoples.

The consequences are immediate and profound: diminished U.S. influence in global standard-setting, increased fragmentation of governance, and heightened uncertainty for NGOs and civil society. The withdrawal risks destabilizing funding, eroding diplomatic protections, and emboldening those who would restrict civic space and rewrite the rules of engagement. It is not only a blow to the institutions themselves but to the millions who rely on their work for security, opportunity, and hope.

CoNGO responds with unwavering resolve. We call for the strengthening and expansion of an effective, accountable multilateral system — rooted in the UN — that advances the rule of law, social justice, gender equity, human development, and peace. In the face of this irresponsible decision, CoNGO will join with responsible governments and civil society worldwide to counter both the immediate and long-term effects of these ill-conceived withdrawals. We will work with all people of goodwill to prevent the unraveling of a world order that, while imperfect, has delivered real progress for all.

We stand in solidarity with those who manage and benefit from the organizations targeted for withdrawal — those who now face job loss and the withdrawal of vital international aid. We urge responsible governments to act swiftly to mitigate this imposed hardship and to reaffirm their commitment to multilateralism.

Now more than ever, CoNGO’s mission is clear: to amplify the voices of civil society, sustain dialogue, and preserve space for collective NGO influence within global governance. We will not be deterred. We will adapt, diversify, and build resilient coalitions to ensure that the promise of multilateral cooperation endures.

CoNGO remains, as ever, a convener and connector — undaunted, undivided, and unyielding in our pursuit of a just and peaceful world.