Too 'woke' for America? Donald Trump pulls US out of Unesco; DEI policies, pro-Palestinian, pro-China tilt prime reasons
"Continued involvement in Unesco is not in the national interest of the United States," AFP reported quoting state department spokeswoman.
Back in February, Trump had directed a 90-day review of the US role in Unesco, focusing particularly on examining any 'anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization.'
"Upon conducting the review, administration officials took issue with Unesco's diversity, equity and inclusion policies as well as its pro-Palestinian and pro-China bias," the New York Post reported citing White House official.
'China has leveraged its influence over Unesco to advance global standards that are favorable to Beijing's interests,' the official 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,' White House deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
'This President will always put America First and ensure our country's membership in all international organizations aligns with our national interests,' Kelly added.
Critics have pointed to Unesco's 2023 release of an 'anti-racism toolkit' and its 2024 'Transforming MEN'talities' campaign as examples behind Trump's concern. The toolkit urged member states to embrace 'anti-racist' policies and engage in a 'race to the top' to position themselves as leading voices for social justice, by confronting their histories of racism and committing to equity-driven reforms.
The States initially pulled out of the UN agency in 1983 during the then President Ronald Reagan's administration, arguing that Unesco had overly politicized nearly every issue it addressed, shown clear antagonism toward free societies, particularly free markets and a free press, and engaged in unchecked budgetary growth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
a minute ago
- Indian Express
Express View on trade pacts and agriculture: Carry forward the momentum
Now that the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been sealed, the focus shifts to the more challenging deal with the US. A major stumbling block to inking even an interim free trade agreement before US President Donald Trump's August 1 deadline — to either sign or face so-called reciprocal tariffs of up to 26 per cent — is agriculture. India does not want to open up its market for American soyabean, corn (maize), ethanol and dairy products. What this defensive stance misses is the potential loss from the fact that India's agricultural exports to the US, at $6.2 billion in 2024, exceeded its imports of $2.4 billion. A 26 per cent tariff will definitely hurt Indian seafood exports to the US that alone was valued at $2.5 billion. That loss would be a gain for the likes of Ecuador and Chile, slapped with only the 10 per cent baseline tariff. On the other hand, the fear of US farm imports is more about perception than reality. Take dairy, where the US isn't as big an exporter of milk powder, butter and cheese as New Zealand and the European Union. Or soyabean, where India imported over $5 billion worth of its oil during 2024-25. The bulk of that was from Argentina and Brazil, with the US share at just $126.3 million. The US is, no doubt, cost competitive in corn and the world's biggest producer as well as exporter. But corn is basically a feed grain, also increasingly being used as a biofuel feedstock. Allowing imports would benefit India's dairy and poultry farmers grappling with rising feed costs, aggravated by the diversion of corn for fuel ethanol production. The sheer demand growth makes corn imports by India inevitable, whether from the US or elsewhere. India needs a farm trade policy based not on import protection, but expanding and diversifying its exports. That happened during 2003-04 to 2013-14, when the country's agriculture exports soared from $7.5 billion to $43.3 billion and new markets were created in products from basmati rice and buffalo meat to frozen shrimps, guar gum meal, chilly and seed spices. Since then, exports have hardly grown to about $52 billion in 2024-25. Even worse have been shipment curbs — on rice, wheat, sugar or onion — clamped at the slightest indication of domestic supply shortfalls. CETA has been a refreshing departure, with India successfully negotiating duty-free access for its exports of seafood, processed foods, spices, fruit and vegetables to the UK, while simultaneously offering to cut tariffs on imports of whisky, chocolates, soft drinks and salmon from the latter. A similar confident approach of export proactiveness rather than import defensiveness is required in deals with other countries — the US included.
Time of India
a minute ago
- Time of India
Macron, Erdogan Close Ranks On Gaza: Anti-Israel ‘Alliance' Brewing After Palestine Move?
/ Jul 28, 2025, 07:31AM IST Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Erdogan expressed deep concern and urged international intervention while reiterating the need for a long-term resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Macron recently announced plans to formally recognize Palestine, a move that has drawn criticism from the U.S. and Israel.#Macron #Erdogan #GazaCrisis #Palestine #IsraelPalestine #MiddleEastPeace #TwoStateSolution #HumanitarianCrisis #Turkey #France #InternationalRelations #DonaldTrump #USPolitics
Economic Times
a minute ago
- Economic Times
Euro rises after US, EU agree to tariff deal
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The euro gained on Monday following the announcement of a framework trade agreement between the United States and the European Union, the latest in a flurry of deals to avert a global trade war Meeting in Scotland on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the deal, which will result in a 15% tariff on EU goods, half what Trump had threatened to impose from August U.S. and Chinese negotiators are due to meet in Stockholm on Monday with an aim to extend a trade truce and prevent steep tariff hikes. Meanwhile, investor attention is shifting towards corporate earnings and central bank meetings in the U.S. and Japan."It could be a positive week, just purely from the fact that now we know the rules of the game, if you like," said Rodrigo Catril, senior currency strategist at National Australia Bank."Now that there is more clarity, you would think that not only in the U.S., but around the globe, there will be a little bit more willingness to look at investment, to look at expansions, and to look at where the opportunities are," he said on a NAB euro stood at $1.1763, up 0.2% so far in Asia. The common currency rose 0.2% to 173.78 said the EU plans to invest some $600 billion in the U.S. and dramatically increase its purchases of American energy and military equipment. The pact is similar to one forged with Tokyo negotiators last week that will see Japan investing some $550 billion in the U.S. and a 15% tariff imposed on its cars and other baseline 15% tariff will still be seen by many in Europe as too high, compared with Europe's initial hopes to secure a zero-for-zero tariff is facing an August 12 deadline to reach a durable trade pact with the U.S. No breakthrough is expected in the U.S. and China talks in Stockholm, but analysts said another 90-day extension of a trade truce struck in mid-May was U.S. dollar advanced on Friday, bolstered by solid economic data that suggested the Federal Reserve could take its time in resuming interest rate cuts. Both the Fed and the Bank of Japan are expected to hold rates steady at this week's policy meetings, but traders are focusing on the subsequent comments to gauge the timing of the next dollar was little changed at 147.68 yen. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against major peers, fell 0.1% to traded at $1.34385, down almost 0.1%. The Australian dollar fetched $0.6576, up 0.2%, while New Zealand's kiwi dollar was flat at $0.6019.
