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Musk says U.S. spends too much money on U.N., agencies

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U.S. forced first vote in UNICEF board history over DEI

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African states: DEI important to 'ensure no child left

behind'

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WFP official tells colleagues to 'avoid controversial

language'

By Michelle Nichols and Maya Gebeily

UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The United

States has warned U.N. organizations UNICEF and UN Women against

any focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and gender ideology as

a U.N. food official sought to avoid Washington's ire by

advising some staff to tone down language.

Since returning to power on January 20, U.S. President

Donald Trump has focused on eliminating diversity, equity, and

inclusion (DEI) practices and any promotion of "gender ideology"

in the federal government, and has encouraged the private sector

to follow suit.

Now Washington has the United Nations in its sights, leaving

the world body's agencies nervous that they could lose billions

of dollars in voluntary U.S. funding as Trump and billionaire

Elon Musk seek ways to slash government spending.

"America provides way too much funding to the U.N. and

associated entities," Musk posted on X on Monday.

In the past three weeks Trump has stopped U.S. engagement

with the U.N. Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding

for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and ordered a review of

the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO.

Washington is the U.N.'s largest contributor - followed by

China - accounting for 22% of the core U.N. budget and 27% of

the peacekeeping budget. The U.N. has said the U.S. currently

owes a total of $2.8 billion. These payments are not voluntary.

Over the past week at executive board meetings of the U.N.

children's agency UNICEF and UN Women, which works for gender

equality and the empowerment of women, the U.S. laid out its

opposition to either body promoting DEI and "gender ideology," a

loose term referencing non-traditional views on sex and gender.

The U.S. forced the first vote in the history of the

36-member executive board of UNICEF, which was created in 1946,

over the adoption of routine documents. The U.S. had

unsuccessfully tried to amend them to call on UNICEF to scrap

DEI or "gender ideology" programming, "so as to promote equal

opportunities for all" and "promote and underscore biological

reality."

After that vote last Friday, Eritrea's deputy U.N.

Ambassador Amanuel Giorgio - speaking on behalf of the eight

African board members - stressed the importance of DEI in UNICEF

programs to "ensure that no child is left behind."

U.S. diplomat Jonathan Shrier told the board that diversity,

equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs "violate the text

and spirit of our laws by replacing hard work, merit, and

equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy."

"In addition, it is U.S. policy to recognize two sexes, male

and female, and not to promote gender ideology," said Shrier.

"It is particularly disturbing that this language is being used

in UNICEF programming documents; children should be protected

from this dangerous ideology and its possible results."

When asked to respond, UNICEF told Reuters it appreciates

the work of the board and takes seriously comments by members,

adding: "As highlighted by many members of the board, UNICEF has

a mandate to safeguard the rights of all children everywhere."

UNICEF is headed by Executive Director Catherine Russell, a

former senior aide to Trump's predecessor Joe Biden, who has

about two years left on her term. According to the latest data

available, the United States was UNICEF's largest donor in 2023,

providing more than $1.4 billion.

AVOIDING "SPECIFIC NOMENCLATURE"

Ahead of the executive board meeting of the U.N. World Food

Programme next week, WFP's Gender Protection and Inclusion

service sent a note to some colleagues - seen by Reuters -

offering advice on how to speak about the diversity of their

work "in light of recent communications coming from the White

House."

"Specifically, we recommend proceeding with descriptive

language rather than specific nomenclature," read the note.

"Please avoid controversial language including LGBTQI+ and

SOGIESC terminology ... let's avoid combining diversity, equity,

inclusion and/or accessibility in one statement or sentence," it

said. SOGIESC is an acronym for sexual orientation, gender

identity and expression, and sex characteristics.

The WFP - run by American Cindy McCain - did not respond to

a request for comment on the note. In 2024, the United States

was WFP's biggest donor, providing more than $4.4 billion.

The U.S. also this week pushed UN Women to avoid a focus on

"radical causes such as DEI and gender ideology, neither of

which will improve the functioning of UN Women and both of which

are demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls."

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous thanked the U.S. for

its comment at the meeting on Monday, adding: "UN Women always

embraces any review of our work." In 2023 the U.S. gave nearly

$19 million to the organization.

When asked for comment on the U.S. opposition to DEI and

"gender ideology," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the

nearly 80-year-old world body strives to uphold the values of

the founding U.N. Charter.

He noted that the Charter "strives 'to reaffirm faith in

fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human

person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations

large and small'."