Trump pulls US out of UNESCO
The State Department formally announced the decision on Tuesday. It will take effect December 31, 2026. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce added that the agency's 'decision to admit the 'state of Palestine' as a member State is highly problematic and contrary to U.S. policy.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said he deeply regretted Trump's decision but had anticipated it and adjusted its budget accordingly. 'Thanks to the efforts made by the organization since 2018, the decreasing trend in the financial contribution of the U.S. has been offset, so that it now represents 8% of the organization's total budget compared to 40% for some United Nations entities,' Azoulay said in a statement.
UNESCO first admitted Palestine as a full member in 2011, in a bow to Palestine's strategy to seek international recognition through UN agencies. This is the third time the U.S. has left UNESCO, with the first withdrawal occurring in 1984 under President Reagan.
The Trump administration ordered a review of the United States' membership in the organization earlier this year. Israel has also left the agency.
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. But the organization has been criticized for supporting the eviction and abuse of Indigenous peoples in some World Heritage sites.
And it faces complaints about its overly-bureaucratic structure. Trump removed the U.S. from UNESCO during his first term - citing anti-Israel bias - but President Joe Biden readmitted the country to the organization.
After withdrawing from the agency during the Reagan administration after claims it advanced the interests of the Soviet Union, President George W. Bush rejoined UNESCO in 2003. Trump, in a push for isolationism, has removed the U.S. from other global bodies.
He's already decided to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization and halt funding to the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA as part of a review of the U.S.' participation in UN agencies, due to be concluded in August.
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