Executive Order 14155 establishes the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), reversing the Biden administration's 2021 decision to remain in the organization. The order characterizes the WHO as having mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises, failed to adopt necessary reforms, and demonstrated an inability to maintain independence from what it describes as "inappropriate political influence" from member states. The order specifically criticizes the WHO's funding structure, claiming the United States pays "unfairly onerous" contributions compared to other nations, particularly noting that China contributes "nearly 90 percent less" despite having a population 300 percent larger than the United States.
The executive order implements several immediate actions to effectuate this withdrawal. It revokes the January 20, 2021 letter that had retracted the previous withdrawal notification and rescinds Executive Order 13987 of January 25, 2021, which had organized the government's COVID-19 response and global health leadership. The order directs the Secretary of State and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to pause all future transfers of U.S. government funds to the WHO, recall and reassign all U.S. personnel working with the organization, and identify alternative partners to assume activities previously undertaken by the WHO. Additionally, it instructs the Director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy to review, rescind, and replace the 2024 U.S. Global Health Security Strategy.
Implementation responsibilities are primarily assigned to the Secretary of State, who must immediately inform the UN Secretary-General and WHO leadership of the withdrawal decision. The order also directs the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs to establish necessary directorates within the National Security Council to safeguard public health and strengthen biosecurity. While the withdrawal process is underway, the Secretary of State is instructed to cease all negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and amendments to the International Health Regulations, explicitly stating that any such agreements will have no binding force on the United States. The order frames these actions as necessary to redirect U.S. global health engagement through what it characterizes as more "credible and transparent" partners, signaling a fundamental shift in the administration's approach to global health governance and international cooperation.