Overview

• President Trump formally notified UNESCO of the United States’ withdrawal, marking its second exit under his administration and reversing the 2023 re-entry ordered by President Biden.
• A U.S. review found UNESCO’s pro-Palestine decisions, growing Chinese influence, anti-American/anti-Israeli bias and “woke” social initiatives incompatible with national priorities.
• American contributions accounted for about 8% of UNESCO’s budget at the time of exit, down from roughly 20% during Trump’s 2018 withdrawal.
• UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay expressed “profound regret,” saying the agency had anticipated the announcement and was preparing accordingly.
• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the move as necessary to secure fair treatment of Israel within U.N. cultural and educational bodies.