US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement withdrawing the US from 66 international organisations marks another decisive blow to the principles of collective global governance and multilateralism.
In a statement that left little room for ambiguity, US secretary of state Marco Rubio declared: “The Trump administration has found the institutions to be redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, [and] captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms and general prosperity.”
This sweeping dismissal of decades-old co-operative frameworks comes amid mounting controversy over Washington’s treatment of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, widely described as an extraordinary rendition that violated international norms, and speculation about which government may next find itself in Trump’s crosshairs.
For African nations, particularly South Africa, the message is unmistakable: the rules-based international order that many developing countries have relied on to advance their interests is under assault from the power that helped construct it.
Trump’s approach rests on two interrelated premises: global politics is a zero-sum game in which every actor must prioritise its own interests exclusively; and the world will be divided into winners and losers based on alignment with Western priorities. South Africa has experienced this binary logic firsthand, facing rhetorical attacks and veiled threats for its refusal to unconditionally endorse US positions on everything from events in Gaza to its Brics membership.
As Daniel Forti, head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group, said what we’re seeing is “the crystallisation of the US approach to multilateralism, which is ‘my way or the highway’. It’s a very clear vision of wanting international co-operation on Washington’s own terms.”
The departure from how previous administrations engaged with multilateral institutions has forced the UN system to respond through staffing and programming cuts that have reverberated across the Global South.
The Trump presidency presents a paradox. His administration’s pro-growth policies align with traditional Republican economics, offering market confidence to certain sectors. However the unpredictability of his foreign policy creates profound uncertainty. For African nations, the duality demands constant vigilance and adaptive strategies.
What this means for Africa
Among the 66 bodies from which the US is withdrawing are three institutions of particular relevance to the continent: the UN Economic & Social Council’s Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, and the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. These serve as crucial channels through which African governments, regional blocs and diaspora communities interact with the UN system on development financing, policy co-ordination, debt relief, trade and governance.
The ECA advises African governments on economic reforms and regional integration under frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Office of the Special Adviser on Africa acts as a bridge between African leaders and the UN secretary-general, while the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent amplifies voices on issues ranging from systemic racism to economic exclusion. The US withdrawal removes not only funding but also political weight from platforms that have shaped international approaches to Africa’s development.
Oxfam America president and CEO Abby Maxman has warned the decision “will fuel inequality and exacerbate human suffering with devastating repercussions for years to come. This is not only a retreat from multilateralism, but also an advance for oligarchy. It weakens global rules and efforts that curb corporate abuse and protect the environment, while shielding the wealthiest and leaving ordinary Americans and the world’s poorest more exposed”.
For Africa, the development unfolds against persistent structural challenges to continental development: inadequate infrastructure, limited fiscal space, climate vulnerability and commodity dependence. Debt distress, democratic backsliding, youth unemployment and forced migration mean African countries are particularly exposed to external shocks. The withdrawal of US support from multilateral platforms compounds the vulnerabilities while collective action is needed most.
However, the moment also presents opportunities. The courting of African nations by global powers, including China, the EU, Russia, India and Gulf states, creates room for manoeuvre that did not exist during the Cold War and shortly after. The challenge lies in navigating between allies and adversaries without becoming collateral damage in great power competition.
Three strategies for Africa
African governments must assess their exposure, risk and opportunity in the shifting landscape to avoid complacency.
My recommendations are:
- Diversify development partnerships. African countries should broaden their sources of assistance, trade and investment beyond traditional Western donors, ensuring no single partner holds disproportionate influence. Deepening ties with emerging economies, whether through Brics, the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation or bilateral arrangements with Gulf states and India, provides leverage and reduces dependency. These partnerships must be negotiated on terms that prioritise African ownership, technology transfer and long-term sustainability over resource extraction.
- Strengthen continental and regional bodies. The AU, regional economic communities such as the Economic Community of West African States and the Southern African Development Community, and institutions such as the African Development Bank, must be strengthened to fill gaps left by retreating multilateral frameworks. This includes increasing African contributions, enhancing their technical capacity and empowering delivery on conflict resolution. The African Continental Free Trade Area offers an opportunity to build intra-African supply chains, while the AU’s Agenda 2063 provides a homegrown vision independent of Western validation.
- Use the moment as an opportunity, not crisis. The weakening of US-dominated multilateral institutions creates space for African nations to advocate for reform on their own terms: greater representation in global governance, fairer climate finance terms and debt relief reflecting African economies. African countries should further invest in South-South co-operation, leveraging shared experiences to build coalitions that can challenge the transactional logic of Trump’s worldview.
Gustavo de Carvalho of the South African Institute for International Affairs captures the urgency of the moment: “The pivot toward a transactional global order creates a significant vacuum, forcing a total rethink of how multilateralism works when a major power steps back. The international community, and Africa in particular, cannot afford to wait for a policy reversal. We must build independent coalitions and reform the institutions on our own terms, with or without Washington.”
Opportunity in crisis
Trump’s withdrawal is a deliberate repudiation of the post-1945 multilateral order. For Africa, reduced US engagement will weaken advocacy channels, reduce funding and embolden other powers to pursue their interests without multilateral accountability.
However, African nations have faced existential challenges before and demonstrated resilience. The moment demands that same resilience, with strategic clarity and bold action. African governments must reject the false choice between aligning with Washington or being cast as adversaries. Instead, they should pursue a pragmatic, diversified approach that leverages many partnerships while asserting their own priorities.
The international system is being reordered, and Africa cannot afford to be a passive observer. Whether through continental unity, South-South co-operation or reformed multilateral institutions, African nations must seize the opportunity to shape the rules of engagement for a new era. The alternative — waiting for a policy reversal that may never come — is a luxury the continent cannot afford.
• Vayez is a South African international relations analyst. Her interests include African foreign policy, geopolitical risk and multilateralism.
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