US leaving cultural agency UNESCO for the 3rd time
What's the story
The US has announced its decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The decision was announced today by the White House's Deputy Spokesperson Anna Kelly. She said President Donald 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."
Timeline
Withdrawal to take effect at end of 2026
This will be the third time that the US has withdrawn from UNESCO. The latest decision comes only two years after rejoining under former President Joe Biden's administration. The withdrawal is set to take effect at the end of December 2026. This move is not unexpected by UNESCO officials who had anticipated such a decision after a specific review ordered by Trump's administration earlier this year.
Historical context
History of US's withdrawal from UNESCO
The US first withdrew from UNESCO in 1984 under then President Ronald Reagan, citing mismanagement and corruption. It rejoined in 2003 under President George W. Bush. The second withdrawal came during Trump's first term in 2017 over alleged anti-Israel bias, after which the US and Israel stopped funding UNESCO when it voted to admit Palestine as a member state.