President-elect Biden will order the US to rejoin the World Health Organization, ending the withdrawal process that the Trump administration had begun.
Why it matters: Biden is expected to reverse dozens of Trump’s policies early in his tenure. President Trump notified the United Nations in July 2020 of his administration’s intention to withdraw from the organization – despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci will be “Head of Delegation” to deliver comments to the WHO Board of Directors later this week.
- WHO is often at the forefront of international health issues, such as vaccine development and polio eradication. Many countries without critical health infrastructure depend on the WHO for their resources.
- Trump stopped funding the WHO in April. He argued that the organization was guilty of “mismanagement and cover up” of COVID-19 on behalf of China and claimed the US “has a duty to insist on full accountability.”
- The US was the WHO’s largest contributor – at more than 14% of the budget.
Biden tweeted in July: “Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health. On my first day as president, I will rejoin the [WHO] and restore our leadership on the world stage. “