The United States has announced it has left UNESCO, saying the UN cultural and education agency, 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,” the State Department spokeswoman said.
The move is a blow to the Paris-based agency, founded after World War II to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture.
UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement: “I deeply regret President Donald Trump’s decision to once again withdraw the United State of America from UNESCO, a decision that will take effect at the end of December 2026”.
President Donald Trump took similar steps during his first term, quitting the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council, a global climate change accord and the Iran nuclear deal.
Joe Biden reversed those decisions after taking office in 2021, returning the US to UNESCO, the WHO and the climate agreement.
With Mr Trump now back in the White House, the US is once again pulling out of these global bodies.
The administration has also ordered a 90-day pause on all US foreign assistance to assess alignment with Mr Trump’s foreign policy priorities.
UNESCO is best known for designating World Heritage Sites, including the Grand Canyon in the United States and the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria.
The United States initially joined UNESCO at its founding in1945 but withdrew for the first time in 1984 in protest against alleged financial mismanagement and perceived anti-US bias, returning almost 20 years later in 2003 under President George W Bush, who then said the agency had undertaken needed reforms.
UNESCO’s full name is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
UNESCO officials said the agency was already a lot less dependent on the United States than in the past, but the move would nonetheless impact the agency, with some limited impact on programmes the US was financing.
The United States provides about 8% of UNESCO’s total budget, down from about 20% at the time Mr Trump first pulled the United States out of the agency.
