Trump administration pulling United States out of UNESCO

July 22 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that the United States has decided to exit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The Trump administration informed UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay of the decision as the State Department stated in a press release that “continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States.”

The release charged that “UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the [United Nation’s] Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy.”

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all U.N. member states in 2015, and is based on 17 Sustainable Development Goals, described by the U.N. as “an urgent call for action by all countries” to partner in a relationship in recognition “that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth, all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.”

The release also cites UNESCO’s decision “to admit the ‘State of Palestine’ as a member state,” which it considers “highly problematic,” and has “contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization.”

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly announced on X Tuesday that “President Trump has decided to withdraw from UNESCO, which supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes.”

“Like many U.N. organizations, UNESCO strayed from its founding mission. Going forward, U.S. participation in international organizations must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce posted to X Tuesday.

Azoulay criticized the U.S. withdrawal in a statement.

“This decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism, and may affect first and foremost our many partners in the United States of America,” said Azoulay.

In regard to the State Department’s insinuation of anti-Israel rhetoric, she said such claims “contradict the reality of UNESCO’s efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism.”

Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa’ar endorsed the withdrawal in a social media post Tuesday, calling it “a necessary step, designed to promote justice and Israel’s right for fair treatment in the U.N. system, a right which has often been trampled due to politicization in this arena.”

Both Israel and the United States withdrew from UNESCO in 2019 under the first Trump administration, but the United States rejoined under former President Biden.

UNESCO also received international support despite the American exit. French President Emmanuel Macron posted to X Tuesday in which he called the organization “a universal guardian of science, the ocean, education, culture, and world heritage.”

“The withdrawal of the United States will not weaken our commitment alongside those who lead this fight,” he added.

As per the UNESCO Constitution, the United States will remain a full member until the end of 2026. Azoulay said in her statement that “the United States of America is and will always be welcome.”