According to a US official and nonprofit organizations cited by Politico on Wednesday, the US administration of President Donald Trump intends to limit federal financing for countries and organizations that support diversity, equity, and gender identity programs abroad.
The policy would prevent US financing from going to foreign and American organizations that support "diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or gender identity initiatives."These organizations would include UN programs, foreign governments, and nonprofits.
The US official claims that the updated strategy advances a "woke agenda" that is at odds with American principles and matches the Trump administration's larger objectives on "human flourishing."
According to Politico, the Trump administration has interpreted the phrase to encompass combating what it perceives as racial discrimination and transgender programs as detrimental to women, even though it generally refers to physical and emotional well being.
The publication claims that the policy would be a major extension of the so called Mexico City Policy, a long standing Republican initiative that prohibits US foreign funding, even from non US sources, from going to organizations that provide abortion related services.
Reuters was informed by a senior State administration official that the administration "continues to advance President Trump’s American First foreign policy."
The official stated that additional efforts will be made to eliminate "loopholes that allowed taxpayer funding for promotion of abortion in previous iterations of the Mexico City Policy and expand the scope of the policy to ensure every penny of US foreign assistance prioritises American values, not the woke agenda."
Nonprofit organizations such as the Global Health Council and MSI Reproductive Choices were notified, according to Politico, that the new regulations are likely to apply to all non military foreign aid, including that provided by US based organizations, foreign entities, the United Nations, and even other governments.
