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US to Withdraw from UNESCO by 2026, Citing "Divisive Social and Cultural Causes"

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The United States has announced its decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural, and Communication Organization (UNESCO) by the end of 2026, marking a withdrawal that comes just two years after rejoining the agency. The decision follows a review of the country's involvement and funding in the United Nations, which was ordered by President Donald Trump in early February of his second term. The State Department accused UNESCO of working to advance "divisive social and cultural causes" and criticized the organization's focus on the Sustainable Development Goals, which it sees as at odds with the US's "America First" foreign policy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US will withdraw from UNESCO by the end of 2026, as announced by the State Department on Tuesday.
  • The decision follows a review of the country's involvement and funding in the United Nations, ordered by President Donald Trump in early February of his second term.
  • UNESCO's focus on the Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist agenda for international development, is seen as a key factor in the US decision to withdraw.
  • The US accused UNESCO of working to advance "divisive social and cultural causes", citing its decision to admit the "State of Palestine" as a Member State as an example.
  • The US previously withdrew from UNESCO in 2018 during Trump's first term, but rejoined under the Biden administration in 2023.
  • UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in the US include Yellowstone National Park, Statue of Liberty, and the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Statistics:

  • The US will withdraw from UNESCO by the end of 2026.
  • The US previously withdrew from UNESCO in 2018 and rejoined in 2023.
  • UNESCO has a total of 195 Member States.
  • The Safe Schools Declaration, a joint initiative by UNESCO and Education Cannot Wait, aimed at protecting education during conflict, has been signed by 83 countries.

Sources:

  • "US to withdraw from UNESCO by 2026, citing 'divisive social and cultural causes'," Alliance News.
  • dpa Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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