The administration of President Donald Trump has formally rejected amendments to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR), citing concerns over U.S. sovereignty and individual freedoms.

In a joint statement released on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the revised global health rules “risk unwarranted interference with our national sovereign right to make health policy.”

 “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,” the statement said.

The amendments, adopted at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in 2024 during the Biden administration, were aimed at improving global responses to pandemics. They included provisions for international cooperation, the creation of an expert group to assess needs in developing countries, and a stated commitment to solidarity and equity.

However, Rubio and Kennedy said the changes would have been binding on the United States and criticized the WHO for what they described as political bias and censorship during past outbreaks, particularly alleged influence by China.

The Trump administration also reiterated its decision to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO, a process that began shortly after Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025.

The rejected amendments were seen as a compromise after the failure to reach agreement on a broader pandemic treaty, which faced opposition from conservative voices in the U.S., the U.K., and other countries concerned about national control and vaccine policy.

While former Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously welcomed the amendments, the current administration’s position signals a sharp reversal in U.S. engagement with global health governance.