Overview

• The Trump administration formally notified UNESCO on July 22, 2025 that it will withdraw from the organization effective December 31, 2026, saying membership no longer serves U.S. national interests
• The State Department accused UNESCO of promoting divisive social and cultural causes, pursuing a globalist Sustainable Development agenda and harboring anti-Israel bias tied to its 2011 admission of Palestine
• This will be the third U.S. exit from UNESCO, after President Reagan’s 1984 withdrawal and Trump’s first-term exit in 2017–18, with re-entry under President Biden in 2021
• UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay expressed deep regret but affirmed the agency’s financial and operational preparedness, noting that U.S. contributions now account for about 8% of its budget thanks to funding diversification
• The decision aligns with the administration’s broader America First strategy of disengaging from UN bodies, following recent U.S. withdrawals from WHO, the UN Human Rights Council and UNRWA