America First or Alone? The withdrawal agenda
US has implemented ‘ doctrine of withdrawal’ with regards to int’l policies
Washington, Dec. 3: Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the US has abandoned or threatened to quit several international accords under his “America First” policy.
Mr Trump’s advisors insist the slogan does not imply any new isolationist stance, but a pattern of disengagement from multilateral commitments has emerged.
On Saturday, the Trump administration announced it was withdrawing the US from a United Nations pact to improve the handling of migrant and refugee situations, deeming it “inconsistent” with its policies.
Richard Haass, former head of state department policy under George W. Bush, has dubbed the Trump administration’s pattern the “withdrawal doctrine.”
Here are some of the accords that Mr Trump has abandoned or threatened:
The US United Nations announced Saturday that the United States was ending its participation in the Global Compact on Migration.
In September 2016, the 193 members of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a nonbinding political declaration, the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, pledging to uphold the rights of refugees, help them resettle and ensure they have access to education and jobs.
The Global Compact, based on the declaration, is due to be presented at the UN General Assembly next year.
But the US mission said the declaration “contains numerous provisions that are inconsistent with US immigration and refugee policies and the Trump administration’s immigration principles.”
Washington said in October it was pulling out of the UN’s Paris- based culture and education body, UNESCO, accusing it of “anti- Israel bias.”
The withdrawal is to take effect at the end of next year, when the US will establish an “observer mission” to replace its UNESCO representation.
Mr Trump announced in June that the US will withdraw from the 196- nation Paris agreement on climate change and seek to negotiate a new global deal. AFP