(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Washington- US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order beginning the process of withdrawing America from the World health Organisation, the second time in less than five years that the US has ordered to withdraw from the world body.
It was among dozens of executive actions he signed after being sworn in on Monday for a second term, on issues ranging from immigration to foreign policy to climate change.
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) came under intense criticism from Trump in 2020 for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which grew into a worldwide health crisis during the final year of his first term.
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“That's a big one,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House when an aid presented to him an executive order on this to be signed by him.
“We paid USD 500 million to World Health when I was here, and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, has 350 dependents... nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally. But let's say we have 325 (million people). They (China) had 1.4 billion people. They were paying USD39 million. We were paying USD500 million. It seemed a little unfair to me,” he said.
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“That wasn't the reason, but I dropped out (of WHO). They offered me to come back for USD39 million. In theory, it should be less than that, but, when Biden came back, they came back for USD500 million. He knew that you could have come back for USD39 million. They wanted us back so badly. So, we'll see what happens,” he said.
The order said Trump was sending a presidential letter to the United Nations secretary-general to formally notify him of the US plan to withdraw.
“The United States noticed its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020 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,” said the executive order.
“In addition, the WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries' assessed payments. China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300 per cent of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90 per cent less to the WHO,” it said adding that the United States intends to withdraw from the WHO.
The global health body stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in funding following Trump's order.
This is Trump's second attempt to withdraw the US from the WHO.
In July 2020, he sent a letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus notifying him of the US intention to withdraw within a year. Trump accused the WHO at the time of helping China mislead the world about the spread of Covid-19.
But Trump was defeated in that year's election, and when President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, he reversed Trump's decision.
This time, Trump will still be in office when the withdrawal would go into effect.
The Executive Order also calls for establishing directorates and coordinating mechanisms within the National Security Council apparatus as he deems necessary and appropriate to safeguard public health and fortify biosecurity.
US foreign policy shall 'champion core American interests'
S President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the State Department that the foreign policy of the US shall“champion core American interests” and always put America and its citizens first.
Trump signed the Executive Order on Mondy soon after Marco Rubio was confirmed by the US Senate as his Secretary of State.
“From this day forward, the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first,” Trump said in his executive order.
“As soon as practicable, the Secretary of State shall issue guidance bringing the Department of State's policies, programmes, personnel, and operations in line with an America First foreign policy, which puts America and its interests first,” the executive order said.
In another executive order, Trump asked for enhanced screening of the visa application process.
“The United States must identify them before their admission or entry into the United States,” it said.
The US must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the country do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles, and do not advocate for aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to the national security, Trump said in the executive order.
It re-establishes a uniform baseline for screening and vetting standards and procedures, consistent with the uniform baseline that existed on January 19, 2021, that will be used for any alien seeking a visa or immigration benefit of any kind.
Trump has asked for vetting and screening to the maximum degree possible, of all foreign nationals who intend to be admitted, enter, or are already inside the US, particularly those aliens coming from regions or nations with identified security risks.
He also ordered identifying countries throughout the world for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals from those countries.
Trump ordered evaluation of all visa programmes to ensure that they are not used by foreign nation-states or other hostile actors to harm the security, economic, political, cultural, or other national interests of the United States.
Among other things, the executive order asks to evaluate the adequacy of programmes designed to ensure the proper assimilation of lawful immigrants into the United States and recommend any additional measures to be taken that promote a unified American identity and attachment to the Constitution, laws, and founding principles of the United States.
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