PARIS, July 22. /TASS/. UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay has expressed regret over Washington’s decision to pull out of the organization, according to a statement released by UNESCO’s press service.
"I deeply regret President Donald Trump's decision to once again withdraw the United States of America from UNESCO - a decision that will take effect at the end of December 2026. This decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism, and may affect first and foremost our many partners in the United States of America - communities seeking site inscription on the World Heritage List, Creative City status, and University Chairs," the statement reads.
Still, the UNESCO chief stressed that the move "was anticipated, and UNESCO has prepared for it." She pointed out that in recent years, the UN body had undertaken "major structural reforms" and diversified its funding sources. According to Azoulay, the United States’ contribution currently represents 8% of the organization’s total budget. "At this stage, the organization is not considering any layoffs," she added.
Azoulay noted that "the reasons put forward by the United States to withdraw from the organization are the same as" in 2018, "even though the situation has changed profoundly, political tensions have receded." "These claims also contradict the reality of UNESCO's efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism," the UNESCO director general stressed, responding to a White House official’s allegations of the UN body promoting anti-Israel and antisemitic initiatives.
The director general emphasized that despite the Washington administration's decision, UNESCO will continue to carry out its missions and "and the United States of America is and will always be welcome." Besides, the organization will "continue to work hand in hand with all of our American partners in the private sector, academia and non-profit organizations, and will pursue political dialogue with the US administration and Congress."
US and UNESCO
On February 4, US President Donald Trump signed an order on the country’s withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The US leader noted that the UN had "tremendous potential" but was not living up to it. In addition, Trump ordered a review of US membership in UNESCO, which was expected to be completed in 90 days. The goal was to evaluate "how and if UNESCO supports United States interests."
This is not the first time the US is pulling out of UNESCO. The Ronald Reagan administration withdrew from the UN body back in 1984, citing its extreme politicization and wasting of funds. The US returned to UNESCO in 2003. The country exited the organization again in 2018, during Trump’s first term in office, saying that UNESCO had an "anti-Israel bias," needed "fundamental reform," and that the United States had a mounting financial debt to the organization. The US came back to the UN body in 2023.