The United States is preparing to withdraw from Unesco, the United Nations’ cultural and educational agency. The decision is part of President Donald Trump's broader approach to reducing US involvement in international organisations he has previously criticised.
In the announcement, the US claimed that Unesco – best known for establishing world heritage sites – is biased against Israel and promotes "divisive" causes.
"Continued involvement in Unesco is not in the national interest of the United States," a State Department spokeswoman said.
The decision will take effect at the end of the year.
The US joined Unesco upon its founding in 1945, following the end of the Second World War. However, it withdrew in 1984 citing alleged financial mismanagement and a perceived bias against it.
It returned almost 20 years later in 2003 under President George W. Bush, who said the agency had undertaken much needed reforms.
The US previously contributed around 22 percent of Unesco’s total budget until it stopped funding the agency in 2011, following Unesco’s decision to admit Palestine as a member.
Although the US remained a member, it significantly reduced its financial support – to around 8 percent by the time the Trump administration formally withdrew from the organisation in 2018.
The US then returned to Unesco under former president Joe Biden in June 2023.
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Funding reorganisation
In response to the move, Audrey Azoulay, director-general of Unesco, described the decision as regrettable. "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," she said.
She added that the decision runs counter to the fundamental principles of multilateralism and that the move could hurt sites applying for World Heritage status and Creative City status.
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The announcement, however, was expected.
"In recent years, we have undertaken significant structural reforms and diversified our funding sources," explained Azoulay. "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."
She also believes that 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 lay-offs.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday assured Unesco of his "unwavering support" following the US withdrawal, describing the organisation in a social media post as "the universal protector of science, the ocean, education, culture and world heritage".
Trump has also decided to withdraw the US from 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.
He took similar steps during his first term, leaving the WHO, the UN Human Rights Council, a global climate change accord and the Iran nuclear deal.
(with newswires)
