1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i Withdrawal from the World Health Organization: Legal Basis and Implications June 5, 2020 On May 30, 2020, President Trump announced that he plans to terminate the United States relationship with the World
2、 Health Organization (WHO). This Sidebar assumes that “terminate” means to withdraw from the WHO (as opposed to, for instance, stop sending funds to the WHO), and addresses the legal framework that applies to the Presidents authority and Congresss role in a potential withdrawal from the WHO. Backgro
3、und On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared a public health emergency caused by the coronavirus disease. Some U.S. officials have expressed dissatisfaction with how the WHO has handled the crisis. In April 2020, President Trump announced that the United States would suspend funding to the WHO and, on
4、May 18, 2020, sent a letter to the WHO Director-General, indicating his Administration may make such funding freezes “permanent” and may reconsider U.S. participation in the organization. On May 30, 2020, President Trump announced his intention to terminate the United States relationship with the WH