UN – The Trump administration requires UN humanitarian agencies that receive or pay US funding to fill out a survey that reveals their relationship with communist, socialist, or anti-American beliefs.
UNICEF and the UN Refugee Agency have investigated several Trump administration concerns by joining the remaining offices and bureau of the recently dismantled US International Development Agency and receiving a survey.
It was unclear how the administration was widely sent by current USAID staff, US officials and three UN authorities.
“We know from some of our colleagues that many agencies receive these types of surveys,” UN spokesman Stephen Dujaric told reporters when asked about the investigation Thursday.
Other officials spoke about the document on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation.
It is the latest effort by President Trump's administration to eradicate what the federal government calls “waste, fraud, abuse,” including reevaluating foreign aid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration has cut 83% of programs run by USAID, the leading US foreign aid agency.
While some questions in the research touch on everyday issues such as whether the project has a risk management framework, others will look into organizations on various hot button issues for Republicans, such as whether to provide abortion-related care or tackle DEI or “gender ideology” issues.
The survey asks respondents to confirm that “this is not a climate or “environmental justice” project” and that organizations encourage freedom of speech and “does not work with entities related to parties that support communist, socialist, or totalitarian, or anti-American beliefs.”
One question frames the UN agencies themselves as a problem and asks whether they “strengthen US sovereignty by limiting their reliance on international organizations and global governance structures” (for example, the United Nations).
Part 2 of the study scored the organization from “no impact” to “large impact” and “how will this project affect the prevention of illegal immigration to the US?” and “Does this project have a direct impact on efforts to combat malignant effects, including China?”
Despite the announcement of the USAID administration, a relatively small number of staff remaining at USAID were among federal government employees still striving to complete the survey.
One former diplomat said the question looked “intrusive and uncomfortable” to anyone doing development work abroad.
“Diversity is the case at the United Nations, where there are 193 countries representing all races, genders and languages. Thomas Shannon, a former US diplomat who worked during President Barack Obama and Trump's first administration, said:
“With a few exceptions, the United States would want to understand that UN programs are designed not to promote 'awakening' ideology, but to address very realistic obstacles and challenges,” he said.
