The White House / Flickr
The White House announced July 22 that the US will withdraw from UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency, citing the agency’s support for divisive ideological causes and its decision to admit Palestine as a Member State.
“Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a July 22 statement.
The department accused UNESCO of promoting “divisive social and cultural causes” and advancing the UN’s “Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda” at odds with the administration’s “America First foreign policy.”
The decision was also driven by UNESCO’s 2011 decision to admit Palestine as a full member. The department called the move “highly problematic,” “contrary to U.S. policy,” and a contributor “to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization.”
Israeli officials welcomed the US’ withdrawal. In a statement posted to X, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called it a necessary step to ensure Israel is treated fairly.
“Israel thanks the US for its moral support and leadership,” Sa’ar added, “especially in the multilateral arena which is plagued with anti-Israel discrimination.”
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay expressed regret over the decision, warning in a July 22 press release that it would primarily impact the agency’s partnerships in the US.
But Azoulay also said the agency had anticipated the withdrawal.
“UNESCO has prepared for it,” she said, noting that US funding now represents just 8% of the agency’s budget following several years of working to diversify the agency’s funding sources.
Azoulay disputed the administration’s rationale, arguing the claims “contradict the reality of UNESCO’s efforts,” particularly pointing to its efforts to combat antisemitism.
“The reasons put forward by the United States to withdraw from the Organization are the same as seven years ago,” Azoulay said, “even though the situation has changed profoundly, political tensions have receded, and UNESCO today constitutes a rare forum for consensus on concrete and action-oriented multilateralism.”
The withdrawal takes effect Dec. 31, 2026. Until then, the US remains a full member.
This marks the third UN agency the Trump administration has chosen to exit, following earlier withdrawals from the World Health Organization and the UN Human Rights Council.
The US has entered and exited UNESCO several times in recent years due to political disputes.
According to Axios, in 2011, the Obama administration froze funding after Palestine became a full member. The Trump administration formally withdrew in 2017, with Israel following suit. In 2023, former President Joe Biden rejoined the organization to counter growing Chinese influence.
