The United States is withdrawing from UNESCO for the third time. What you need to know

The White House announced the US decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The administration of Donald Trump believes that it is pursuing an anti-Israeli and pro-Chinese policy that does not correspond to American interests. This is the third time that the United States has withdrawn from an organization known for its protection of World Heritage sites. What is known about the new decision of the White House is in the Izvestia article.

What was decided in the USA

The New York Post reported on the US intention to withdraw from UNESCO, citing White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly. The decision was made by the President of the country, Donald Trump. According to Kelly, UNESCO's activities are contrary to common sense and American interests, and it does not correspond to the policy that the United States voted for in November 2024.

• The White House also accused UNESCO of an anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish position, as the organization calls Palestine the occupied territory of Israel in its wording and condemns Tel Aviv for the fighting in the Gaza Strip, without assessing the activities of the radical Hamas group in the enclave. Another claim from the Trump administration is that China is allegedly using its influence on UNESCO to advance its interests.

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• Trump's supporters from the Republican Party have also repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with UNESCO. They don't like the fact that the organization is calling on member States to adopt anti-racist legislation — this is perceived as an attempt on national policy. UNESCO's funding is also irritating. US contributions account for 8% of the budget, and in previous years their share reached up to 20%.

How the United States withdraws from international organizations

This is the third time that the United States has announced its withdrawal from UNESCO. The first time this happened was in 1984, when the Ronald Reagan administration accused the organization of excessive politicization, hostility to a free society, and uncontrolled budget increases. The United States regained membership in 2003, until in 2018, Trump stopped it again at the same time as Israel. The reason then was UNESCO's alleged anti-Israeli bias.

• The next president, Joe Biden, restored membership in this and other international organizations, from which the country withdrew during Trump's first term. At that time, the White House argued as a justification for the return that in this way it would fight China's influence in international structures.

U.S. withdraws from international organizations. What it means

• The United States will now become the third country to be a member of the United Nations that is not a member of UNESCO. This list also includes Israel and Liechtenstein, whose interests are represented by Switzerland. At the same time, Palestine has been a member of UNESCO since 2011, which is why the United States stopped funding the organization. In 2023, Biden agreed to pay $600 million to pay off the debt incurred over the years.

• Withdrawing from UNESCO continues Trump's policy of refusing to participate in international organizations if they do not follow American interests. Earlier, the United States withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and also refused to be elected to the UN Human Rights Council. In addition, in February, US senators proposed to completely withdraw from the UN and stop funding its agencies.

What does UNESCO do?

UNESCO was established in 1945 at the same time as the United Nations, becoming part of its structure. Its mission is to promote peace, sustainable development, and human rights through five programs: education, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, culture, and communication. The organization sets standards, develops tools and supports international cooperation to solve global problems. UNESCO headquarters is located in Paris.

• UNESCO's most famous project is to maintain lists of sites that are protected by the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. It includes natural and man-made objects of cultural, historical and scientific importance to humanity. The UNESCO list includes 1,248 sites in 170 countries, including the United States and Israel.

UNESCO also implements programs for the preservation of intangible cultural and documentary heritage, draws attention to the protection of endangered languages and specially protected natural areas, and promotes the elimination of illiteracy in developing countries. UNESCO cooperates with several hundred international non-governmental organizations responsible for the development of culture and education.