The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from 66 international organizations, conventions, and treaties, including 31 UN-affiliated bodies, as announced in a presidential memorandum. Among the cultural organizations dropped are the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the Freedom Online Coalition, and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. The withdrawal follows a review ordered by President Trump in February 2025, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting that many of these groups are "dominated by progressive ideology."
This withdrawal matters because it removes U.S. participation from key international bodies that support arts, culture, historic preservation, and freedom of expression. Critics, including Artists at Risk Connection, warn that disengagement weakens global protections for artists facing censorship, surveillance, and violence, and creates space for authoritarian regimes to further repress cultural workers. The move continues the Trump administration's pattern of withdrawing from multilateral organizations such as UNESCO, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Paris Climate Agreement, signaling a broader shift toward isolationism in cultural diplomacy.