Reuters. President Donald Trump has decided to pull the United States out of the "woke" and "divisive" U.N. culture and education agency UNESCO, the White House said on Tuesday, repeating a move he took in his first term that was reversed by Joe Biden.
The withdrawal from the Paris-based agency, which was founded after World War Two to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture, will take effect at the end of next year.
The move is in line with the Trump administration's broader "America-first" foreign policy, which includes a deep skepticism of multilateral groups, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the NATO alliance.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said UNESCO "supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for."
The State Department accused UNESCO of supporting "a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy".
It said its decision to admit the Palestinians as a member state was "highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric."
UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said she deeply regretted Trump's decision, but it was "expected, and UNESCO has prepared for it."
Posting on X, French President Emmanuel Macron professed "unwavering support" for the "universal protector" of world heritage and said the U.S. move would not weaken France's commitment to UNESCO.
China's foreign ministry said Washington's decision was "not the behaviour expected of a responsible major country", and expressed China's staunch support of UNESCO's work, its spokesperson told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday.
UNESCO officials said the U.S. withdrawal would have some limited impact on U.S.-financed programs.
Azoulay said UNESCO had diversified funding sources, receiving only about 8% of its budget from Washington.
Israel welcomed the U.S. decision with its U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, accusing UNESCO of "consistent misguided anti-Israel bias."
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is best known for designating World Heritage Sites, including the U.S. Grand Canyon and Egypt's pyramids.
It lists 26 sites in the United States, including the Statue of Liberty, on its World Heritage List, opens new tab which highlights 1,248 global locations of "outstanding universal value."
