New US president signs orders to end ‘Muslim ban’, rejoin climate deal and World Health Organization

United States President Joe Biden has signed a string of executive orders, memorandums and directives that will reverse some of his predecessor Donald Trump’s most divisive policies, including rescinding the so-called “Muslim ban”, rejoining the Paris climate accord, and ending the process to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Just hours after his inauguration at US Capitol on Wednesday, Biden signed 15 executive actions that his team earlier said aimed to “reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration”.

Biden told reporters in the Oval Office that there was “no time to waste”.

He said some of the executive actions signed will help to change the course of COVID crisis, combat climate change in a way that they haven’t done so far and advance racial equity as well as support other underserved communities

He also announced that US would remain a member of WHO, and that Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, would attend the ongoing WHO Executive Board meeting at the head of US delegation.