Trump withdraws US from UNESCO again

International Desk

Former US President Donald Trump has announced his second withdrawal from the United Nations cultural and educational agency UNESCO, the White House said on Tuesday, saying the organization “supports woke and divisive social movements” that are contrary to the Trump administration’s policies.

Trump made the same decision in 2017, which was revoked by President Joe Biden in 2023. The new revocation will take effect at the end of 2026.

“UNESCO has pursued a cultural and social agenda that is at odds with common sense and the will of the American people,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.

The US State Department said several UNESCO policies, including granting full membership to Palestine, were cited as “a source of propaganda that is contrary to US foreign policy and anti-Israeli.”

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said, “This decision is regrettable but expected. UNESCO was prepared.”

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his “unwavering support” for UNESCO on Twitter and said the US move would not weaken France’s commitment to UNESCO.

Israel welcomed the decision. Its UN ambassador, Danny Danon, accused UNESCO of “consistent anti-Israel bias.” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, “We are grateful for the moral support and leadership of the United States.”

However, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the decision “shortsighted” and a “victory for China.”

UNESCO said in a statement that all of its actions over the past eight years have been coordinated with both Israel and Palestine. Azoulay said the basis for the Trump administration’s accusations had changed and UNESCO was now practicing effective multilateralism based on consensus.

UNESCO was founded in 1945. It works to promote peace through the preservation of world heritage and the promotion of international cooperation in education, science, and culture. The United States has 26 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon.

The United States’ relationship with UNESCO has been strained many times. It first left the organization in 1984 and returned in 2003 under the George W. Bush administration. In 2011, the Obama administration cut off funding to the organization after granting Palestine membership. Then, in 2017, Trump formally withdrew the United States from UNESCO. President Biden reversed that decision in 2023.

This decision has brought US policy back in the opposite direction.