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Travel + Leisure
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Travel + Leisure
U.S. Announces Exit From UNESCO—Here's What It Means for Travelers
On July 22, the U.S. Department of State announced it would withdraw from UNESCO. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—founded after World War II with the goal of 'promoting peace through its cooperative endeavors"—has since built an invaluable database of cultural and natural landmarks, many of which are among the world's most iconic travel destinations. Now, the U.S. involvement in funding, selecting, and supporting these endeavors is going to come to an end. Secretary of State Tammy Bruce said the decision to withdraw was made because continued involvement 'is not in the national interest of the United States.' 'UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy,' Bruce said in the official statement. This isn't the first time the U.S. has parted ways with the organization. The Trump administration withdreaw in 2018, and the country only rejoined in 2023 under former President Joe Biden. Before that, U.S. funding halted under former President Barack Obama in 2011 and the country full withdrew once before, in 1984 under former President Ronald Reagan. While this latest departure isn't without precedent, it could still lead to ripple effects for travelers. Here's what to know: The withdrawal will take effect on Dec. 31, 2026. Until then, the U.S. remains a full participating member of the organization. UNESCO includes 194 member states (nations), each contributing financially and appointing national representatives. The organization collectively sets global standards and leads initiatives focused on the preservation of history, culture, education, and the environment. There are 26 World Heritage Sites and 28 biosphere reserves in the US. In the world, there are 1,248 sites across 170 countries. U.S. sites include landmarks like Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Everglades, as well as Independence Hall in Philadelphia, San Antonio Missions in Texas, and the Statue of Liberty. As one of the largest member states of the organization, the U.S. supplied significant funding for UNESCO projects, including the world heritage sites. In response to the withdrawal announcement, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said they "deeply regret" the Trump administration's decision to withdraw, but affirmed the organization's commitment to its mission. 'However regrettable, this announcement was anticipated, and UNESCO has prepared for it,' Azoulay said. While the organization used to heavily rely on funding from the U.S., it has since 'undertaken major structural reforms and diversified our funding sources,' according to Azoulay. While there still might be some changes, UNESCO does not anticipate reducing staff or operations at this time, which means that for now, you can continue planning travel to UNESCO sites as usual. As for whether or not Americans have anything to worry about when they visit UNESCO sites, Azoulay said that the policy of an open door for everyone will continue. 'UNESCO's purpose is to welcome all the nations of the world, and the United States of America is and will always be welcome.'
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
US pulls out of UNESCO again. A look at the rocky ties tracing back to Raegan, with Israel at heart
The United States has once again withdrawn from UNESCO, reigniting a decades-old pattern of disengagement with the United Nations' cultural agency. This time, the trigger is familiar: the organisation's recognition of Palestine as a member state. Calling UNESCO's direction 'divisive' and 'ideological', the US Department of State said the body no longer aligns with American interests. 'Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States,' said spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, accusing the agency of pushing a globalist agenda through its focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The final straw, she added, was the inclusion of Palestine, which the US says fuels anti-Israel rhetoric within the organisation. It's a move that marks yet another chapter in the US's fraught history with UNESCO, one that has been marked by multiple withdrawals, funding freezes, and political posturing. The tensions go back as far as 1984, when the Ronald Reagan administration first pulled out, citing corruption, mismanagement, and a perceived pro-Soviet bias. The US eventually rejoined under George W Bush in 2003, only to slash funding again in 2011 under Barack Obama — ironically, over the same issue of Palestine's membership. The second withdrawal of the US in 2018 was again citing anti-Israel bias. Along with the US, Israel had completely stopped funding the organisation after it voted for membership of Palestine. The fund cut had deprived UNESCO of nearly a fifth of its budget, forcing it to slash programs. In 2023, after Joe Biden took over US presidency, the nation rejoined UNESCO after citing concerns that China was filling the gap left by the US in the agency's policymaking. Now, with Washington turning its back yet again, UNESCO faces fresh questions about funding and relevance, especially at a time when it's playing a key role in war-hit regions like Gaza. UNESCO has been supporting displaced children and families, helping them cope with the trauma they have been going through. According to UNESCO's website, as many as 1,580 displaced children have received aid through UNESCO's mental health and psychosocial support activities in shelters across Khan Younis and Rafah in the Southern Gaza Strip since the war broke out. Apart from that, 810 caregivers have taken part in psychosocial support workshops, boosting their ability to provide aid to both themselves and the children in their care. Palestine, a member state Palestine was added as a member state of the agency after 107 members voted in favour of it to 14 against, with 52 abstentions during UNESCO's General Conference in 2011. Anticipating dissent from the US, UNESCO then Director-General Irina Bokova had raised concern that funding from the largest contributor may be jeopardized. Bokov was quoted as saying in a statement by UNSECO: 'I am worried we may confront a situation that could erode UNESCO as a universal platform for dialogue. I am worried for the stability of its budget. 'It is well-known that funding from our largest contributor, the United States, may be jeopardized,' she noted. 'I believe it is the responsibility of all of us to make sure that UNESCO does not suffer unduly as a result….' 'UNESCO's work is too important to be jeopardised,' she said.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Pakistani delegation to visit US, State Department confirms but doesn't reveal what's on agenda
A senior US State Department official on Tuesday (July confirmed that a Pakistani delegation is scheduled to visit Washington for a bilateral meeting read more US has confirmed that a Pakistani delegation is set to visit. Representational image/Reuters A senior US State Department official on Tuesday (July 22) confirmed that a Pakistani delegation is scheduled to visit Washington for a bilateral meeting, but stopped short of saying whether the United States would play any role in resolving the long-standing tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly over Kashmir. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce responded to a question at a press briefing about Donald Trump's past offer to mediate on Kashmir, an offer the US president had linked to his claim of having helped prevent a military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We have Pakistan who is going to be here for a bilat, and I'll participating in that, so I'm looking forward to that as well,' said Tammy Bruce. The remarks came in response to a query that linked Trump's mediation offer with the United States' stated willingness to encourage direct communication between India and Pakistan on issues such as the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). The reporter asked whether contentious matters like Kashmir would also be on the agenda. The upcoming bilateral talks follow a rare one-on-one lunch hosted by Trump for Pakistan's military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, marking a significant moment in Washington-Islamabad ties. Trump's claims on ceasefire and trade Since May 10, when Trump took to social media to announce that India and Pakistan had agreed to a 'full and immediate' ceasefire after a 'long night' of talks mediated by the United States, he has repeatedly claimed credit for defusing the crisis. He has also said on multiple occasions that he told the South Asian rivals that the United States would do a 'lot of trade' with them if they deescalated tensions. India, however, has firmly denied any American involvement in the ceasefire. Officials in New Delhi have maintained that the agreement was reached bilaterally through direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries. No talk of mediation, says India A long-anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, in June did not materialise as Trump cut short his visit and returned to Washington. However, before Modi concluded his own visit, the two leaders had a 35-minute telephonic conversation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, speaking from Kananaskis, said PM Modi clearly conveyed to Trump that at 'no point' during the days following Operation Sindoor was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal or any proposal for mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. The upcoming bilateral meeting in Washington is expected to cover a wide range of regional and strategic issues, though it remains unclear whether Kashmir will feature in the discussions. With inputs from PTI
Euronews
a day ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Here we go again: Donald Trump takes United States out of UNESCO
The United States has announced it will once again leave UNESCO, the UN's educational, scientific and cultural agency, only two years after rejoining. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce linked the withdrawal to what Washington sees as UNESCO's push to 'advance divisive social and cultural causes.' She added that the decision to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a Member State is 'highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization.' This marks the third time the US has pulled out of UNESCO, which is based in Paris, and the second time during the Trump era. Donald Trump's administration withdrew from UNESCO during his first term, after which the US stayed away for five years. The Biden administration later reapplied and rejoined the agency. The latest withdrawal will take effect at the end of December 2026. While the US contributes a significant part of UNESCO's budget, the organisation, the Associated Press writes, should be able to manage without American funding. The US share of funding has fallen in recent years and now accounts for just 8% of UNESCO's total budget, with other countries stepping up their contributions. The US first pulled out of UNESCO back in 1984 under President Reagan, citing mismanagement, corruption, and accusations that the agency was advancing Soviet interests. It rejoined in 2003 during George W. Bush's presidency. In 2017, the Trump administration announced the country's second withdrawal over similar concerns about anti-Israel bias, which took effect a year later. The US and Israel had already stopped funding UNESCO after it voted to include Palestine as a member state in 2011. This is a developing story and our journalists will provide updates as soon as possible.
Scroll.in
a day ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
United States says it will withdraw from UNESCO
The United States on Tuesday announced its decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, citing concerns about 'anti-Israel rhetoric' and the promotion of 'divisive' agendas. President Donald Trump had pulled out of the organisation in 2017 as well during his first term, a decision that his successor Joe Biden had reversed. US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday that Washington's continued involvement in UNESCO was 'not in the national interest' of the country. UNESCO is a body of the United Nations that promotes world peace through international cooperation in culture, arts, education and sciences. Bruce accused the organisation of advancing 'divisive social and cultural causes'. 'UNESCO…maintains an outsized focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy,' she said. The spokesperson also criticised the body's 2011 decision to admit Palestine as a member state, calling it 'highly problematic' and a contributor to 'anti-Israel rhetoric within the organisation'. Washington is an ally of Israel and acts as a guarantor of the country's security. Both the US and Israel had stopped financing UNESCO after it voted to include Palestine as a member state. In a social media post, Bruce said that 'going forward, US participation in international organisations must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous'. The decision will take effect at the end of December 2026, her statement added. This is the third time US has pulled out of UNESCO. The country first withdrew from UNESCO in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan's administration, citing the international body's mismanagement, corruption, and advancement of Soviet Union interests. The US rejoined the organisation in 2003. Today, the United States announced our decision to withdraw from UNESCO. Like many UN organizations, UNESCO strayed from its founding mission. Going forward, U.S. participation in international organizations must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. — Tammy Bruce (@statedeptspox) July 22, 2025 UNESCO says withdrawal was 'anticipated' Responding to Washington's announcement, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said that she 'deeply regretted' Trump's decision to once again withdraw from the international body. 'This decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism, and may affect first and foremost our many partners in the United States of America,' she said. Azoulay said that the announcement, although regrettable, was anticipated and added that UNESCO had prepared for it. The organisation had undertaken major structural reforms and diversified its funding sources since 2018, she added. 'UNESCO's overall budget has steadily increased,' she said, adding that the US now accounts for just 8% of its funding, compared to 40% for some other UN bodies. She added that the organisation is now better protected in financial terms due to support from other member states and private donors. The purpose of the international body is to welcome all the nations of the world, and the US is and will always be welcome, Azoulay said. 'We will continue to work hand in hand with all of our American partners in the private sector, academia and non-profit organisations, and will pursue political dialogue with the US administration and Congress,' her statement added.
