Saturday Jan 10, 2026
Saturday Jan 10, 2026
Saturday, 10 January 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| US President Donald Trump |
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| Colombo Plan Council President and outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung |
The US this week announced its withdrawal from the Colombo Plan as part of a broader decision to exit a wide range of international organisations, conventions, and treaties deemed to be contrary to US interests, according to a memorandum issued by the White House.
The decision was formalised in a directive signed by US President Donald J. Trump, instructing all US executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to withdraw from specified organisations following a review conducted by the Secretary of State under Executive Order 14199, issued on 4 February 2025.
The Colombo Plan Council is listed among 35 non-UN organisations from which the US will withdraw, alongside bodies covering climate change, energy, democracy, development finance, cyber expertise, and migration. The memorandum states that the US will cease participation in or funding to the listed organisations to the extent permitted by law, with further reviews ongoing.
The Colombo Plan, headquartered in Colombo, is one of the region’s longest-standing intergovernmental development organisations, having commenced operations in July 1951 following a Commonwealth conference held in Colombo in 1950. Its mandate focuses on human resource development and South-South cooperation across South and Southeast Asia, with membership having expanded to 28 Governments.
The US has historically been one of the Colombo Plan’s largest contributors, aiding initiatives in education, drug demand reduction, public policy, climate and environmental initiatives, and capacity building across the Asia-Pacific region.
Sri Lanka hosts the Colombo Plan Secretariat under a host country agreement that provides privileges and immunities through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Sri Lanka. The organisation currently operates four core programs, including the Drug Advisory Program, Gender Affairs Program, Program for Environment and Climate Change, and the Capacity Building Program.
The US withdrawal comes at a time when outgoing US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung serves as the incumbent President of the Colombo Plan Council, the organisation’s 79th, a role that rotates annually among member States. The Council, comprising resident heads of diplomatic missions in Colombo, meets quarterly to guide policy and oversee implementation.
The White House memorandum also lists a wide range of UN bodies from which the US will withdraw or cease funding of, including the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Women, the UN Population Fund, and several UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) regional commissions.
The directive authorises the Secretary of State to issue further implementation guidance and confirms that the memorandum will be published in the US Federal Register. It notes that withdrawals will be carried out subject to applicable law and the availability of appropriations, and that the review of US participation in other international organisations remains ongoing.
