The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday he would "welcome constructive dialogue" with the United States Government over the decision made by President Donald Trump to withdraw.
President Trump's executive order of 20 January is regrettable "and we hope the US will reconsider," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a speech to the organization's executive board.
The WHO chief said he would welcome the opportunity "to preserve and strengthen the historic relationship between WHO and the US."
Pushing back on the rationale laid out in the executive order, Tedros said WHO had implemented the deepest and most wide-ranging reforms in its history over the past seven years.
The US is the biggest donor by far to the agency, accounting for around 14 per cent of its $6.9 billion budget, according to latest WHO figures.
Addressing the US complaint that it is paying too much compared to other countries, Tedros said reducing reliance on the US and others who pay the most was a "critical element of our long-term plan to broaden our donor base."
COVID record
Third, he rejected the accusation that WHO had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic:
