Trump Pulls US Out of UNESCO Over ‘Divisive’ Agenda, Palestine Recognition
The United States has announced its decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), making it the fourth UN agency the Trump administration has exited in just seven months.
Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the State Department, said the US officially notified UNESCO of its intent to leave on Tuesday, citing misalignment with American interests.
“UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy,” Bruce stated.
She also referenced the organisation’s 2011 decision to admit Palestine as a full member as a major point of contention.
“UNESCO’s decision to admit the ‘State of Palestine’ as a Member State is highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organisation,” she said.
The US withdrawal, following UNESCO’s rules, will take effect on December 31, 2026. Until then, the US will retain full membership status.
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), drastically reducing funding for humanitarian programs.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), warned that the US had funded about 47 per cent of global humanitarian appeals last year.
Trump has repeatedly described such foreign assistance as a “drainpipe” of taxpayer funds and has vowed to prioritise national interests.
