By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The United States has announced its exit from the UN cultural and education agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), accusing the body best known for establishing world heritage sites of “bias” against Israel and promoting “divisive” causes.
“Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States,” the State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.
Since his return to the White House in January, President Donald Trump’s administration has made raft of reforms aiming to cut spending by Washington in international organizations. He had earlier announced his country’s exit from the World Health Organization (WHO).
During his first term, Trump ordered Washington’s exit from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2017 but his successor, Joe Biden then reestablished US membership.
Bruce described UNESCO as working “to advance divisive social and cultural causes” and being overly focused on UN sustainability goals, which she described as a “globalist, ideological agenda.”
She also highlighted what she said was the body’s anti-Israeli position in admitting Palestine as a state.
“UNESCO’s decision to admit the ‘State of Palestine’ as a member state is highly problematic, contrary to US policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization,” Bruce said.
The UN organization describes its mission as promoting education, scientific cooperation and cultural understanding.
It oversees a list of heritage sites aimed at preserving unique environmental and architectural gems, ranging from the Great Barrier Reef off Australia and the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Athens Acropolis and Pyramids of Egypt.
Trump was not the first to pull the United States out of UNESCO. President Ronald Reagan ended US membership in the 1980s, saying the agency was corrupt and pro-Soviet.
The United States re-entered under the presidency of George W. Bush.
