The United States is once again set to withdraw from the United Nations' UNESCO program, with the Trump administration citing anti-America and anti-Israel leanings, as well as UNESCO's woke agenda, as reasons. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay described the decision as "regrettable."
The decision to pull US funding and participation from UNESCO comes two years after the Biden administration rejoined following a controversial, five-year absence that began during President Donald Trump's first term.
What did the US say?
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, "President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO, which supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November."
Meanwhile, UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay said she "deeply" regrets the US decision but said it was expected and that the agency "has prepared for it". She also denied accusations of anti-Israel bias, saying it contradicts "the reality of UNESCO's efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism."
Azoulay added that "the reasons put forward by the United States of America are the same as seven years ago, 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".
What is UNESCO?
UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It, founded after World War II, contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication, and information.
Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. Protecting biodiversity, responding to artificial intelligence, advancing quality education, safeguarding heritage, and ensuring access to reliable information are some examples of the work that UNESCO does with its 194 Member States across the globe.
One of UNESCO's core missions is also the World Heritage program, which protects historic and cultural sites. There are 1,248 UNESCO World Heritage sites in 170 countries, including the pyramids in Egypt, Notre-Dame Cathedral in France and the Statue of Liberty in the US. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13,000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions.
UNESCO sites in the United States
Here's a list of UNESCO sites in the United States
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Everglades National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek
- Independence Hall
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
- La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Statue of Liberty
- Yosemite National Park
- Chaco Culture
- Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Taos Pueblo
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Waterton Glacier International Peace Park
- Papahānaumokuākea
- Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point
- San Antonio Missions
- The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
- Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks
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