* This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO
* He was critical of how the international body handled CoVID-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic
* But President Joe Biden later reversed that decision as the global impact of Trump’s second term is already being felt
By Ana Faguy, BBC News, Washington
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin the process of withdrawing the US from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
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“Oooh, that’s a big one,” the newly inaugurated US president said as he approved the document after arriving back at the White House. It was one of dozens of executive actions he put his signature to on day one in office.
This marks the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO. He was critical of how the international body handled CoVID-19 and began the process of pulling out from the Geneva-based institution during the pandemic — but President Joe Biden later reversed that decision.
Carrying out this executive action on day one makes it more likely the US will formally leave the global agency: “They wanted us back so badly so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to the WHO, perhaps hinting the US might return eventually.
The order said the US was withdrawing “due to the organisation’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”.
The executive order also said the withdrawal was the result of “unfairly onerous payments” the US made to the WHO, which is part of the United Nations.
When Trump was still in office the first time around he was critical of the organisation for being too “China-centric” in its tackling of the CoVID-19 pandemic — accusing the WHO of being biased towards China in how it issued guidance during the outbreak.
President Biden
Under the Biden administration the US continued to be the largest funder of the WHO and in 2023 it contributed almost one-fifth of the agency’s budget.
The organisation’s annual budget is US$6.8 billion (£5.5 billion). Public health experts have been critical of Trump’s decision to leave the WHO, warning there could be consequences for Americans’ health.
Some have suggested the move could reverse progress made on fighting infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV and Aids.
Ashish Jha, who formerly worked as CoVID-19 response co-ordinator under President Biden, previously warned leaving would “harm not only the health of people around the world, but also US leadership and scientific prowess”.
“It’s a cataclysmic presidential decision,” said Lawrence Gostin, a global public health expert and Georgetown University professor. “Withdrawal is a grievous wound to world health, but a still deeper wound to the US.”
Global impact of Trump’s second term is already being felt
From Jerusalem to Kyiv to London to Ottawa, his election victory and the anticipation of a new Trump agenda has changed the calculations of world leaders — with some far-reaching consequences.
In the lead-up to the handover of power in Washington, BBC’s correspondents dissected these changes in the regions where they were.
Middle East: ceasefire deal in Gaza
Trump has made an impact on the Middle East even before he sat down in the Oval Office to start his second term as president.
He cut through the delaying tactics that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in alliance with his ultra-nationalist coalition partners, had used to avoid accepting the ceasefire deal that Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden put on the negotiating table last May.
American pressure on Hamas and other Palestinian groups is a given. Under Biden, pressure on Israel was the lever that was never pulled. Trump starts his second term claiming credit, with reasonable justification, for getting the ceasefire deal in Gaza over the line. He can bask in some glory.—By international editor Jeremy Bowen: Jeremy’s analysis in full
UK: a secret ‘mini cabinet’
Trump and his team are different this time round, more prepared, with a more aggressive agenda perhaps, but his delight in keeping the world guessing seems undimmed.
It’s this uncertainty accompanying Trump that the British political establishment in Whitehall and Westminster finds so shocking.
How can the UK prepare for what it can’t yet know? A small group of senior ministers has been trying.
There have been series of secret “mini-cabinet” meetings, with the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds “trying to plan for what might come”, according to one source.
One insider tells me there hasn’t been too much preparation for multiple specific scenarios because “you’d drive yourself crazy” trying to guess Trump’s next steps. But another source says various papers have been prepared to be presented to the wider Cabinet.
I’m told the focus has been “looking for opportunities” rather than panicking about whether Trump might follow through on some of his more outlandish statements, such as annexing Canada.—By Laura Kuenssberg, presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: Laura’s analysis in full
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Ukraine – pressure for a deal
The return of Trump to the White House means new realities for Ukraine – the new US president wants a peace deal, not a soaring bill for US military support.
That much is clear. How he intends to get there is not. His original boast — that he could end the war in a day — has been revised by his new Russia-Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg.
Lieutenant-General Kellogg (retired) has said he would like “a solution” within 100 days. If Trump can push both sides into negotiations, Ukraine won’t be coming to the table in a position of strength.
Moscow currently control’s one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean Peninsula which is annexed in 2014. Many here fear President Trump will push for a settlement on Russia’s terms.
President Zelensky has indicated he is ready for some compromises. Three years into Russia’s invasion, he has little choice.
But President Putin, who is winning on the battlefield, albeit slowly and with massive losses, may have no desire to stop now.—By Orla Guerin, senior international correspondent: Orla’s report from the Ukraine front lines
Canada: threat of tariffs adds to turmoil
The political instability in Ottawa comes as Canada faces a number of challenges — not least the vow by Trump to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.
Until recently, Justin Trudeau seemed determined to hang on as prime minister, citing his desire to face Pierre Poilievre — his ideological opposite — in the polls.
But the shock resignation of Trudeau’s key deputy, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, in mid-December — when she cited his perceived failure to not take Trump’s threats seriously — proved to be the final straw.
Members of Trudeau’s own party began to make it publicly clear they no longer supported his leadership.
And with that, the last domino fell. Trudeau announced his resignation as PM earlier this month.—By Jessica Murphy, Canada digital editor: Jessica’s analysis in full
China: investors eye trade war
China’s economy rebounded in the last three months of last year, allowing the government to meet its growth target of 5% in 2024, Beijing announced on Friday.
But it is one of the slowest rates of growth in decades as the world’s second largest economy struggles to shake off a protracted property crisis, high local government debt and youth unemployment.
The head of the country’s statistics bureau said China’s economic achievements in 2024 were “hard won,” after the government launched a slew of stimulus measures late last year.
Beijing has rarely missed its growth targets in the past. Experts had broadly predicted this rate of growth. The World Bank said lower borrowing costs and rising exports would mean China could achieve annual growth of 4.9%.
Investors, however, are bracing themselves: the threat of President-elect Donald Trump’s tariffs on US$500bn (£409bn) worth of Chinese goods looms large.
Yet that is not all that stands in the way of China achieving its growth targets next year.—By Suranjana Tewari, business reporter, Singapore: Suranjana’s analysis in full
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