JAKARTA - The United States' plan to withdraw from the World Health Organization or WHO has not been free from one important condition: the outstanding dues must be paid.
As reported by Xinhua, Thursday, April 30, WHO Director-General (Dirjen) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Washington had not paid the arrears of membership dues. The payment was one of the conditions for withdrawing from the WHO.
Tedros explained that there are two requirements for countries that want to leave the WHO. First, give a notice one year in advance. Second, pay all outstanding dues.
US President Donald Trump filed a notice of withdrawal from the WHO in January 2025, on the very first day he returned to office.
The United States has long been known as the WHO's largest contributor. However, according to Tedros, there has been no "signal" that Washington will pay its arrears.
Tedros emphasized that this issue does not stop at money. According to him, global health security requires the involvement of all countries.
"To be honest, it's not about money," Tedros said. "The problem is, health security requires a universal nature. By withdrawing, the United States is making itself unsafe and making the whole world unsafe. So, it's a loss for both."
He said WHO still hoped the United States would understand the risks of the decision and reconsider it.
"Our focus is not on money. The focus is on helping the United States understand and reconsider," Tedros said, quoted by Xinhua.
Tedros assessed that the US withdrawal from the WHO could disrupt global health security because cross-country cooperation was still needed to face the threat of disease.
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