The United States - once again - leaves the UN's cultural agency Unesco

 

The United States leaves the UN's cultural agency Unesco again

The United States of America will leave the United Nations' culture and education agency Unesco, European sources revealed this week. The decision was also reported by US media and confirmed by the UN agency's director. With this move, US President Donald Trump continues to pull his country out of international institutions he has long criticised.

The move is a blow to Unesco, the Paris-based agency, founded after World War Two to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture.

Two European diplomats first shared the news with wire agencies. Then the New York Post also reported on the US withdrawal, citing a White House official.

Unesco is best known for designating World Heritage Sites, including the Grand Canyon in the United States, the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria and many others in Africa, Asia and Europe.

The US initially joined Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, when it was founded in 1945, after the end of World War Two, but withdrew for the first time in 1984 in protest against alleged financial mismanagement and perceived anti-US bias.

It returned almost 20 years later in 2003 under President George W. Bush, who then said the agency had undertaken needed reforms.

The US provided until now about 8 percent of Unesco's total budget, and had previously contributed to about 20 percent, until Trump first pulled the US out of the agency in 2016.

Regrets

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of Unesco, reacted a few minutes after the announcement reached the newsrooms.

"I deeply regret President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from UNESCO's membership again – a decision that will take effect at the end of December 2026."

This decision runs counter to the fundamental principles of multilateralism, she said, adding that the move could hurt sites applying for World Heritage status, Creative City status, and university chairs.

Regrettable as it may be, this announcement was expected, she said, and Unesco has prepared for it.

"In recent years, we have undertaken significant structural reforms and diversified our funding sources," explained Azoulay, who is French herself.

"Through the efforts undertaken by the organisation since 2018, the downward trend in the American contribution has been offset, now representing only 8 percent of the organisation's total budget, compared to sometimes 40 percent in some United Nations entities, within a budget that is itself growing.'

She thinks the organisation is better protected from a budgetary perspective, thanks to the continued support of a large number of states and private contributors, whose voluntary contributions have doubled since 2018.

At this time, the organisation says it is not considering any layoffs.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday assured Unesco of his "unwavering support" following the US' withdrawal, describing in a social media post the agency as "the universal protector of science, the ocean, education, culture, and world heritage."

Further withdrawal

Trump also decided to withdraw again the US from the the World Health Organization (WHO) and halt funding to the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA as part of a review of the country's participation in UN agencies, due to be concluded in August.

Trump had taken similar steps during his first term, quitting WHO, the UN Human Rights Council, a global climate change accord, and the Iran nuclear deal.

Joe Biden had reversed those decisions after taking office in 2021, returning the US to Unesco, the WHO and the climate agreement.

But with Trump back in the White House, the US is once again pulling out of these global bodies.