UNESCO regrets US decision to withdraw from organization

The United States officially withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the grounds that continued participation no longer served its national interests.

According to AFP, Director-General of the United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Audrey Azoulay on July 22 expressed regret at the US decision to withdraw from the organization, but said Washington's move was not surprising.

“I deeply regret President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from UNESCO once again,” Ms. Azoulay said in a statement. “While regrettable, this announcement was expected and UNESCO was prepared for.”

On July 22, the United States officially withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), citing that continued participation no longer served its national interests.

In a statement, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce clarified that UNESCO promotes social and cultural goals and focuses too much on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

As such, the organization's agenda is globalist and ideological for international development, which runs counter to Washington's current “America First” foreign policy.

Previously, during his first term, US President Donald Trump also withdrew the world's number one power from UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Iran nuclear deal called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

President Joe Biden then reversed these decisions, returning the US to UNESCO, WHO and the Paris climate agreement. However, with President Trump returning to power for a second term from January 2025, the US has once again withdrawn from global organizations.

The 47th US president has decided to withdraw from the WHO and stop funding the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA). These decisions are part of a review of the US role in UN organizations, expected to end next August.

The United States has been a member of UNESCO since its founding in 1945 but first withdrew in 1984 over protests over poor financial management and anti-American bias.

In 2003, under President George W. Bush, the United States rejoined UNESCO after the organization made necessary reforms.

The US currently contributes about 8% of UNESCO's budget, down from nearly 20% when President Trump withdrew from the organization during his first term./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/unesco-lay-lam-tiec-ve-viec-my-quyet-dinh-rut-khoi-to-chuc-post1051156.vnp