US To Exit UNESCO Again

The United States has announced plans to exit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) once again, citing the agency’s “anti-Israel bias” and support for “divisive cultural causes”, just two years after rejoining.

White House deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed the decision to the New York Post, stating, “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 common-sense policies that Americans voted for in November.”

According to Reuters, the withdrawal is scheduled to take effect in December 2026.

This marks the second time President Donald Trump is pulling the U.S. out of the Paris-based agency, which was created after World War II to foster peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture.

During his first term, Trump led similar withdrawals from key international organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Human Rights Council, the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and the Paris climate agreement.

His successor, Joe Biden, reversed those decisions upon taking office in 2021, restoring U.S. membership to UNESCO and other multilateral institutions.

Now back in the White House, Trump is once again withdrawn from them.

Alongside the UNESCO pullout, he has also ordered a withdrawal from the WHO and suspended U.S. funding to the UN’s Palestinian relief agency (UNRWA), pending a broader review of American involvement in UN bodies expected to conclude in August.

UNESCO is globally recognised for its designation of World Heritage Sites, including the Grand Canyon in the U.S. and Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra.

The U.S. has a long and uneasy history with UNESCO. It first withdrew in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan over accusations of mismanagement and anti-U.S. bias, rejoining in 2003 under President George W. Bush after a series of reforms.

When Trump exited again in 2017, the U.S. was contributing roughly 20 per cent of the agency’s budget. That figure had dropped to about 8 per cent before the latest announcement.

UNESCO’s mandate includes preserving cultural heritage, promoting scientific collaboration, and supporting global education.