US withdrawal from Unesco ‘weakens international cooperation’
President Donald Trump's decision to remove the US from Unesco is "regrettable", Belgium's Foreign minister says.
Trump ordered a 90-day review of America’s Unesco membership in February, with an emphasis on antisemitism or anti-Israel sentiment. According to the New York Post, the White House was particularly upset by Unesco’s recent recommendations on combating racism and a document on gender equality in India.
The US withdrew during Trump’s previous term in office in 2017, before rejoining under his successor, Joe Biden. The latest withdrawal will take effect at the end of 2026.
According to a White House spokesperson, the UN organisation backs “woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November”.
"However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and Unesco has prepared for it"
“The decision of the United States to withdraw once again from Unesco is deeply regrettable,” said Belgian Foreign minister Maxime Prévot.
“In a world shaken by conflict, disinformation and division, we need strong multilateral institutions,” he posted on X. “This decision weakens a pillar of international cooperation. But Belgium stands firmly by Unesco and by the idea that global challenges demand global solutions.”
The US was involved in founding Unesco in the aftermath of the Second World War, to support education, science and culture. In 1984, US president Ronald Reagan withdrew the country from the organisation, citing mismanagement and an overly politicised approach. Re-entry happened in 2003, under George W Bush.
Funding sources
“I deeply regret President Donald Trump’s decision to once again withdraw the United States of America from Unesco,” spokesperson Audrey Azoulay told AFP. “However regrettable, this announcement was expected, and Unesco has prepared for it.”
In recent years, Unesco has tried to become less dependent on American funding by increasing the share of voluntary contributions, she said, and the US contribution of 75 million dollars a year now represents 8 per cent of the organisation’s total budget.
Azoulay: “This decision will nevertheless affect our activities in the coming years or force us to look for other sources of funding.”
© PHOTO AFP / MIGUEL MEDINA
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