U.S President Donald Trump

The United States, under President Donald Trump, has formally rejected amendments to the World Health Organisation’s International Health Regulations (IHR), citing concerns over national sovereignty and individual liberties.

In a statement released Friday by the U.S. State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the U.S. would not adopt changes agreed to at the 2024 World Health Assembly in Geneva, which were aimed at strengthening global pandemic responses.

According to Rubio and Kennedy, the amendments “risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy.” They added, “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.”

Despite having withdrawn the U.S. from the WHO immediately upon assuming office on January 20, the Trump administration noted that the proposed reforms would still be legally binding if not formally rejected before the July 20 deadline.

The rejected amendments include provisions that promote global cooperation and equity during health emergencies. A key proposal was the formation of a body to assess and respond to the needs of developing nations in future pandemics.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed disappointment over the U.S. decision. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he said, “We regret the US decision to reject the amendments,” clarifying that the reforms “are clear about member states’ sovereignty” and that the WHO does not have authority to enforce lockdowns or other domestic health policies.

The international health regulations, last revised in 2005, serve as the legal framework for global cooperation during public health crises. While the recent amendments were a response to perceived shortcomings during the COVID-19 pandemic, they fell short of a broader pandemic treaty initially proposed. A new pandemic accord was eventually signed by most countries in May 2025—without the participation of the U.S., which was in the process of exiting the WHO at the time.

Rubio and Kennedy criticised the WHO’s credibility, alleging that the organisation remains vulnerable to political pressure, particularly from China. “The changes fail to adequately address the WHO’s susceptibility to the political influence and censorship—most notably from China—during outbreaks,” they stated.

Their stance marks a sharp policy shift from the Biden administration. Then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously welcomed the amendments as a step forward in global health preparedness. However, the U.S. under Biden withheld support for a broader treaty in 2024, citing concerns over intellectual property protections for vaccines and treatments.