President Donald Trump plans to withdraw the US from the United Nations body that deals with education, science and culture for a second time, citing an ideological agenda that it says doesn't serve US national interests.
"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 spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. "This President will always put America First and ensure our country's membership in all international organizations aligns with our national interests."
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce highlighted what she called UNESCO's "outsized focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy."
The US in recent years has provided about one fifth of UNESCO's funding.
Trump withdrew the US from UNESCO in his first term, a decision that was reversed by his successor, Joe Biden. In addition to UNESCO, Trump has targeted UN agencies such as the World Health Organization and the UN Human Rights Council for criticism and withdrawal.
Bruce also criticized UNESCO's decision to allow Palestine to join as a member as contributing to anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization. The US exit will be effective at the end of 2026, Bruce said.
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