US walks out on UNESCO 2 years after rejoining — what prompted the exit and what the fallout could look like

Time of India

13 hours ago

The US is leaving
UNESCO
again, just two years after it joined again. As part of the
Trump administration
's latest effort to sever ties with foreign organizations, the United States announced on Tuesday that it would withdraw from UNESCO, U.N.'s educational, scientific, and cultural agency.
Critics say the move shows that there are more and more ideological differences between the US and international organizations. The choice is likely to affect both funding and cultural cooperation around the world, as per a report by The Guardian.
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This is the third time Washington has left the Paris-based group, which is now under pressure from Trump's "America First" policy.
Why did Donald Trump target UNESCO again?
The action will be implemented at the end of next year, according to the State Department. It is a reflection of President Trump's strong dislike and mistrust of international organizations, particularly those associated with the United Nations, and multilateralism.
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State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement that "Continued involvement in UNESCO 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,' Tammy Bruce said in a statement, as per a report by The NY Times.
Just two years after rejoining, the United States announced Tuesday that it will once more withdraw from the U.N.'s educational, scientific, and cultural agency due to what Washington perceives as its
anti-Israel bias
.
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."
According to a statement released by the White House in February, the international organization had "shown failure to reform itself, has continually demonstrated anti-Israel sentiment over the past decade, and has failed to address concerns over mounting arrears." The White House also announced a 90-day review of the US membership in Unesco.
When will the United States officially leave UNESCO?
In December 2026, the US plans to exit UNESCO, citing the agency's "woke" and anti-Israel bias.
The decision will not surprise UNESCO officials, who anticipated this action after the review mandated by the Trump administration earlier this year. They anticipated that Trump would withdraw once more, as the US's re-engagement in 2023 had been advocated by a political adversary, former President Joe Biden.
A global organization based in Paris that was established following World War II to advance peace via international collaboration in science, education, and culture has been hit hard by the move.
This action is a component of Trump's initiative for a second term aimed at extricating the United States from many international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), ceasing financial support to the Palestinian aid agency UNRWA, and disengaging from the UN Human Rights Council.
What's at stake for global culture and education?
Officials at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris had anticipated a possible US withdrawal during Trump's second term. The United States contributes approximately 8% of the overall budget, resulting in a less pronounced financial influence compared to other entities, such as the WHO, where the US is the predominant financial supporter.
Now that the decision is final, people are still wondering what will happen next. Critics say it's another step away from working together on a global scale. For those who want to leave, it's a necessary rejection of too much power from other countries. No matter what, the US and UNESCO's relationship is still rocky, and the world is watching.
How has the U.S. relationship with UNESCO evolved?
The United States is leaving UNESCO, which is headquartered in Paris, for the third time, and the second time under the Trump administration. After the Biden administration applied to rejoin the group, the United States rejoined after a five-year hiatus, and President
Donald Trump
had already withdrawn during his first term.
The United States will be leaving Unesco for the third time, having first joined in 1945. Under Ronald Reagan, the US initially left in 1983, but under George W. Bush, it returned in 2003. As a result of "mounting arrears, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias," Trump withdrew the United States from Unesco in 2017, during his first term as president.
Despite Unesco's 2011 vote to admit Palestine, the Barack Obama White House reduced Unesco's funding, leaving the US with millions of dollars in unpaid debt, as per a report by NBC News.
FAQs
Why is the United States leaving UNESCO again?
The United States claims that UNESCO promotes "divisive" and "anti-Israel" agendas that contradict America First principles.
When will the United States officially leave UNESCO?
The US withdrawal is set to take effect in December 2026.