U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO. This decision comes two years after the administration of Joe Biden rejoined in 2023.
According to local reports from the New York Post and others on the 22nd (local time), President Trump decided to withdraw due to UNESCO's anti-Israel bias, pro-China stance, diversity policies, and progressive cultural agenda. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly stated in a statement on the 22nd (local time) that "UNESCO supports divisive and radical cultural and social agendas that are inconsistent with the sensible policies chosen by the American people."
Right after taking office, President Trump directed a 90-day review of whether to participate in UNESCO, and after reviewing UNESCO's DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies, pro-Palestinian stance, and China's influence, it was reported that he decided to withdraw.
The issues cited by the U.S. government include UNESCO's "Guidelines for Responding to Racism" (2023), "Initiative for Transforming Masculine Mindsets" (2023), the decision to designate Jewish holy sites as Palestinian world heritage, the expression "Israeli occupation" in UNESCO official documents, and a pattern of criticizing Israel without mentioning Hamas.
Additionally, local media reported that the fact that China is the second largest contributor to UNESCO and that many high-ranking officials of Chinese nationality are active there were also considered.
The United States has a history of withdrawing from UNESCO in the past as well. In 1983, the administration of Ronald Reagan withdrew due to politicization and budget waste, and rejoined in 2002 under the Bush administration. The first Trump administration withdrew in 2017 due to UNESCO's anti-Israel stance, and the Biden administration rejoined in June 2023 for the purpose of containing China.