The United States announced on Tuesday (22) its decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a UN-affiliated organization. In the statement, President Donald Trump’s administration stated that UNESCO has pursued an “ideological agenda” that diverges from the country’s interests.
“UNESCO promotes polarizing social and cultural causes and maintains a disproportionate focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, an ideological and globalist international development agenda that runs counter to our America First foreign policy,” said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
This is the second time the US has withdrawn from UNESCO. The first also occurred under the Trump administration, but in 2018. The justification given at the time was that UNESCO had an “anti-Israel” bias and urgently needed to promote fundamental internal reforms. The return to the UN body for cultural and educational affairs occurred during Joe Biden’s term.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay lamented the US government’s decision, but said the announcement did not surprise her. “I deeply regret President Donald Trump’s decision to once again withdraw the United States of America from UNESCO. (…) As regrettable as it is, this announcement was expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it.” The US withdrawal will take effect in December 2026.
UNESCO: Effects of the Decision
The Trump administration’s decision to abandon UNESCO will represent a severe setback for the organization’s management, given that the United States accounts for approximately 8% of the budget. This 8% already represented a 20% decrease compared to 2018, when the US first left the organization.
The United States joined UNESCO at its founding in 1945 and withdrew from the agency for the first time in 1984, accusing it of financial mismanagement and an anti-American bias. They returned almost 20 years later, in 2003, during the administration of President George W. Bush, who stated at the time that the agency had made necessary reforms.
