The United States is leaving the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the third time in history, the second under Donald Trump's Administration. The State Department announced the decision today, claiming that the organisation's polices are in conflict with the Republican president's nationalist "America First" agenda.
As for the specific reasons, Washington criticises the inclusion of Palestine in UNESCO, what they call the organisation's "anti-Israel" approach, and in broader terms, its promotion of cultural and social causes deemed "divisive" and "ideological".
UNESCO Director-general Audrey Azoulay calls the withdrawal "regrettable" but "expected", as it "contravenes the fundamental principles of multilateralism and our many partners in the United States", as covered by ElPais.
As one of the first noteworthy reactions, France's President Emmanuel Macron showed his "unwavering support" to the organisation on X, as follows:
<social>https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1947655760974123090</social>
Looking further ahead, and as a premise, The White House now states that future US participation in multilateral bodies will depend on whether they promote US interests "with clarity and conviction", in line with other cuts to international aid.