The United States announced Tuesday it will pull out of the U.N.’s educational, scientific and cultural agency because of what Washington sees as its anti-Israel bias, only two years after rejoining.
AP reports, White House deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly told the New York Post, “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.”
This will be the third time the US has withdrawn from UNESCO.
UNESCO and the White House did not immediately confirm the U.S. move. The decision will take effect at the end of December 2026.
President Donald Trump had already pulled out during his first term, and the United States returned after a five-year absence after the Biden administration applied to rejoin the organisation.
Reportedly, the decision came as no surprise to UNESCO officials, who had anticipated such a move following the specific review ordered by the Trump administration earlier this year. They also expected that Trump would pull out again since the return of the US in 2023 had been promoted by a political rival, former President Joe Biden.
UNESCO's Director General Audrey Azoulay said she "deeply" regrets the U.S. decision but insisted that it was expected, and that the agency "has prepared for it." She also denied accusations of anti-Israel bias.
"These claims ... contradict the reality of UNESCO's efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism," she said.
Azoulay added, "The reasons put forward by the United States of America are the same as seven years ago, even though the situation has changed profoundly, political tensions have receded, and UNESCO today constitutes a rare forum for consensus on concrete and action-oriented multilateralism."
AP reports that, since the United States contributes a sizeable portion of UNESCO's funding, the agency is likely to be impacted by the U.S. withdrawal. However, the company ought to be able to handle it. The US's share of UNESCO's overall budget has dropped to 8% as the organisation has diversified its funding sources in recent years.
Azoulay assured that UNESCO will continue to fulfil its tasks despite "inevitably reduced resources." At this time, the agency has no plans to lay off any employees.
"UNESCO's purpose is to welcome all the nations of the world, and the United States of America is and always will be welcome," she said. "We will continue to work hand in hand with all our American partners in the private sector, academia and non-profit organisations, and will pursue our political dialogue with the U.S. administration and Congress."
The United States previously pulled out of UNESCO under the Reagan administration in 1984 because it viewed the agency as mismanaged, corrupt and used to advance the interests of the Soviet Union. It rejoined in 2003 during George W. Bush's presidency.
