Trump pulls US out of UN cultural agency UNESCO for second time

The U.S. will withdraw from UNESCO, the UN's cultural and educational agency, as announced by the State Department. This decision is part of Donald Trump's ongoing effort to exit various international organizations, citing UNESCO's focus on "divisive social and cultural causes" and its alignment with globalist agendas that contradict America First policies. The withdrawal, effective December 2026, poses a challenge for UNESCO's initiatives in education and combating hate speech, although the U.S. only contributes about 8% of its budget. This marks the third departure of the U.S. from UNESCO, having previously withdrawn under Ronald Reagan in 1983 and Trump in 2017, both times over claims of anti-Western bias and political issues. The U.S. rejoined under Biden in 2023 to counter Chinese influence, agreeing to pay significant overdue contributions. UNESCO's Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, expressed regret over the decision, emphasizing that it contradicts the principles of multilateralism and highlighting UNESCO's efforts in education and combating antisemitism. She noted that reforms have been implemented to diversify funding and mitigate the impact of the U.S. departure. 

Source: Trump pulls US out of UN cultural agency UNESCO for second time, July 23, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-pulls-us-out-un-cultural-agency-unesco-second-time-2025-07-22/