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.”