President Trump issued an executive order in January to begin the year-long process of withdrawal from the organization.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement on Friday to formally reject the World Health Organization’s (WHO) amendments to the 2024 International Health Regulations (IHR), which would have become binding on Saturday. The legal agreement has been adopted by each of the 194 WHO member states regarding the “rights and responsibilities“ of governments and the WHO for global health emergencies. The 77th World Health Assembly adopted the amendments by consensus without a vote in March.
“The proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations open the door to the kind of narrative management, propaganda, and censorship that we saw during the COVID pandemic,” Secretary Kennedy said in a video message. “The United States can cooperate with other nations without jeopardizing our civil liberties, without undermining our Constitution, and without ceding away America’s treasured sovereignty.”
“Nations who accept the new regulations are signing over their power in health emergencies to an unelected, international organization that could order lockdowns, travel restrictions or any other measures it sees fit,” the HHS secretary continued. “If we are going to give the WHO that much power we should at least invite a thorough public debate.”
“Terminology throughout the amendments to the 2024 International Health Regulations is vague and broad, risking WHO-coordinated international responses that focus on political issues like solidarity, rather than rapid and effective actions,” Secretary Rubio said. “Our Agencies have been and will continue to be clear: we will put Americans first in all our actions and we will not tolerate international policies that infringe on Americans’ speech, privacy, or personal liberties.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretaries Kennedy and Rubio as they seek to maintain the sovereignty of the United States regarding the International Health Regulations.
- For wisdom for U.S. officials as they assess legally binding global agreements.
Sources: The Hill, UPI News
