Latest news with #withdrawal
LBCI
5 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
UNESCO head says US withdrawal regrettable, but 'expected'
The head of the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO said on Tuesday that she regretted the U.S. decision to withdraw from the organization, but added that the move had come as no surprise. "I deeply regret President Donald Trump's decision once again to withdraw the United States of America from UNESCO," Director-General Audrey Azoulay said. "However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it". AFP
CNA
7 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
Trump pulls US out of UNESCO again, criticises ‘woke' agenda
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has ordered the United States to withdraw from the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO, repeating a move from his first term that was reversed by his predecessor Joe Biden. The exit from the Paris-based organisation will take effect on Dec 31, 2026, the White House said on Tuesday (Jul 22), citing the agency's support for what it called 'woke, divisive' causes. '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,' said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly. The State Department said continued US membership was 'not in the national interest', accusing the agency of promoting a globalist development agenda 'at odds with our America First foreign policy'. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said the decision was 'regrettable, but expected', adding that the agency had prepared by diversifying its funding. The US currently contributes about 8 per cent of its budget. FRANCE, ISRAEL RESPOND French President Emmanuel Macron voiced support for the agency in a post on X: 'Unwavering support for UNESCO, universal protector of science, the ocean, education, culture, and world heritage. The withdrawal of the United States will not weaken our commitment to those who are fighting this battle.' Israel welcomed the US move. The State Department said Washington's decision was partly due to UNESCO's 2011 admission of Palestine as a member state, calling it contrary to US policy and a driver of 'anti-Israel rhetoric' in the agency. UNESCO officials countered that all agency statements over the past eight years had been coordinated with both Israel and the Palestinians. Azoulay said the rationale for withdrawal was largely unchanged from 2018, even though 'political tensions have receded' and the organisation now offered a 'rare forum for consensus' on action-oriented multilateralism. She also rejected claims of anti-Israel bias, citing UNESCO's work on Holocaust education and combating antisemitism. REPEATED EXIT The move marks the second time Trump has withdrawn the US from UNESCO, having done so in 2017 over similar concerns. That decision was reversed by Biden in 2023, who restored funding and committed to clearing arrears. During his first term, Trump also pulled the US out of the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Paris climate accord, all of which were rejoined by Biden. Many of those exits have since been reinstated under Trump's second term. Diplomats told Reuters the latest exit was widely expected at UNESCO due to Trump's prior stance and Republican objections to agency policies. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was established in 1945 to promote peace and cooperation. It is best known for its designation of World Heritage Sites, such as the Grand Canyon in the US and Syria's ancient city of Palmyra.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump withdraws US from ‘woke' UNESCO for second time
The United States will pull out of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at President Donald Trump's request, the White House announced Tuesday. '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,' White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement. In February, Trump issued an executive order requiring Secretary of State Marco Rubio to review UNESCO and other international organizations which may 'promote radical or anti-American sentiment.' The announcement is the latest development of a tug-of-war between two rival administrations: The U.S. withdrew from UNESCO in 2019, citing concerns of anti-Israel bias during Trump's first term, but rejoined under President Joe Biden in 2023. UNESCO is the United Nations' cultural arm focused on 'strengthening our shared humanity.' The organization addresses global issues, like climate change and artificial intelligence, by conducting research and setting standards for member nations; it also oversees global heritage sites. Audrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, said in a statement that she 'deeply regrets' the decision, which will take effect in December 2026. However, she said the announcement was 'anticipated' and the organization has prepared, leaving it 'better protected in financial terms.' 'The reasons put forward by the United States to withdraw from the Organization 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,' Azoulay said. French President Emmanuel Macron offered his 'unwavering support' for UNESCO, calling the organization a 'universal guardian' for science and culture, among other things. 'The withdrawal of the United States will not weaken our commitment alongside those who lead this fight,' Macron wrote on X. But not all nations condemned the decision. Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar cheered Trump's latest withdrawal, thanking the U.S. for 'its moral support and leadership.' 'This is a necessary step, designed to promote justice and Israel's right for fair treatment in the UN system, a right which has often been trampled due to politicization in this arena,' Sa'ar said in an X post. Both the U.S. and Israel have accused UNESCO of taking an anti-Israel stance, as the organization has expressed 'deep concern' about the 'humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.' The organization has also come under fire for its 2023 publication of a racism and discrimination tool kit, which the Trump administration has railed against. 'Like many UN organizations, UNESCO strayed from its founding mission,' State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce wrote in a post on X. 'Going forward, U.S. participation in international organizations must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.'
France 24
9 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
US to leave UN cultural body, citing 'national interest'
"Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. UNESCO called the US departure -- which it said will take effect in December 2026 -- regrettable, but unsurprising, and said its financial impact would be limited. President Donald Trump had already ordered withdrawal from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation once before, in 2017 during his first term. President Joe Biden then reestablished US membership. "I deeply regret President Donald Trump's decision to once again withdraw the United States of America from UNESCO," Director-General Audrey Azoulay said, adding the move contradicted fundamental principles of multilateralism. "However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it". In recent years, Azoulay said, UNESCO had "undertaken major structural reforms and diversified our funding sources", including with private and voluntary governmental contributions. The US share of UNESCO's total budget currently stands at eight percent, she said. This compares to an estimate of nearly 20 percent a decade ago, according to a UNESCO source who asked not to be named. No staff redundancies were planned, Azoulay said. Bruce described UNESCO as working "to advance divisive social and cultural causes" and being overly focused on UN sustainability goals, which she described as a "globalist, ideological agenda." 'Same as seven years ago' Bruce also highlighted what she said was the body's anti-Israeli position in admitting Palestine as a state. "UNESCO's decision to admit the 'State of Palestine' as a member state is highly problematic, contrary to US policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organisation," Bruce said. The administration has also objected to UNESCO's recognition of heritage sites in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem as Palestinian. Azoulay said the reasons put forward by the US "are the same as seven years ago" although, she said, "the situation has changed profoundly, political tensions have receded, and UNESCO today constitutes a rare forum for consensus on concrete and action-oriented multilateralism". Washington's claims "contradict the reality of UNESCO's efforts", she added, "especially in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism". The source at UNESCO described the US move as "purely political, without any real factual base". The organisation had already been "forced" to do without US money for several years after the 2017 departure, the source told AFP. UNESCO adapted but new sources of funding would still need to be found, the source said. 'Always welcome' Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said he welcomed the US decision. "This is a necessary step, designed to promote justice and Israel's right for fair treatment in the UN system," he said on X. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said, also on X, that UNESCO had his "unwavering support" that would not weaken after the US departure. The UN organisation describes its mission as promoting education, scientific cooperation and cultural understanding. It oversees a list of heritage sites aimed at preserving unique environmental and architectural gems, ranging from Australia's Great Barrier Reef and the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Athens Acropolis and Pyramids of Egypt. The UNESCO source said that the US will continue to be represented on the world heritage committee even after leaving the organisation formally, just as it had in 2017. Trump was not the first to pull the United States out of UNESCO. President Ronald Reagan ended US membership in the 1980s, saying the agency was corrupt and pro-Soviet. The United States reentered under the presidency of George W. Bush. The American return under Biden was a major success for Azoulay, who became UNESCO chief in 2017, also because it included a pledge to pay back the US's contribution arrears to the tune of $619 million. On Tuesday, Azoulay said the US could always return to the fold in the future. "The United States of America is and always will be welcome," she said.
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
US to leave UN agency again, citing anti-Israel bias
The United States is set to withdraw from UNESCO again, citing the agency's perceived anti-Israel bias. This marks the second instance of the US leaving UNESCO during a Trump administration, following a previous withdrawal and subsequent rejoining under the Biden administration. The decision to pull out will become effective at the end of December 2026. The move is a setback for the Paris-based agency, established after the Second World War to foster peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture. The US had previously withdrawn from UNESCO in 1984 over alleged financial mismanagement and anti-American bias, rejoining in 2003.
