U.S. Will Rejoin UNESCO in July, Agency Says

The United States will rejoin the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO in July, the agency announced Monday, after years of volatile relations that culminated in the US government’s complete withdrawal in 2017. The move, which comes more than a decade after the United States cut major funding to the agency, is a much-needed budget boost.

“This is an act of strong faith in UNESCO and multilateralism,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement after announcing the U.S. decision at a meeting of delegates from 193 UNESCO members at its headquarters in Paris. ‘ said.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) said in a statement that the State Department told Azoulay, “In recent years, UNESCO has taken on new challenges, modernized its operations, and eased political tensions.”

The move to rejoin became possible The statement said the bill authorizing funding for UNESCO, passed by Congress in December, provided the United States with a “specific funding plan” that required UNESCO’s approval. The statement gave no details about the plan.

UNESCO is best known for designating World Heritage Sites, with more than 1,150 World Heritage Sites registered since 1972. Among them is Yosemite National Park in California. Encore Cambodia and stone town of Zanzibar. again, “Intangible Cultural Heritage” A list of the most valuable creations of mankind, such as the French baguette.

The organization is also known for its educational programs, which work extensively on promoting sex education, literacy, clean water, and equality for women. It also helps set standards on various issues, such as ocean conservation and the ethics of artificial intelligence.

But it has struggled over the past decade due to lack of funding and accusations of political bias, particularly on issues concerning Israel and the Palestinians. UNESCO member states have used the organization to rehearse historical disputes, contest competing claims to cultural heritage, and challenge the international legitimacy of rival states.

In 2011, the United States stopped funding UNESCO after UNESCO resolved to include Palestine as a full member. The action was taken because of a US law that requires a complete cutoff of US funding to any UN agency that accepts Palestine as a full member, depriving the agency of nearly one-fifth of its budget and reducing program have been forced to reduce

And in 2017, citing anti-Israel bias and growing delinquency, the Trump administration went a step further and announced its complete withdrawal from UNESCO, although the United States remained a non-observer country.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment, and Palestinian officials did not immediately respond.

The American Jewish Commission, a pro-Israel US-based Jewish advocacy group, welcomed the decision.

“The continued absence of the United States from UNESCO agencies that have fought anti-Semitism, supported educational efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust, and prevented the adoption of unilateral resolutions against Israel under its current leadership. does not serve the national interests or values ​​of the United States or those of our allies,” the group said in a statement.

Seth J. Franzmann, a commentator for the Israeli English-language newspaper The Jerusalem Post, said: Said On social media, he called the move “natural and positive.” He added, “Withdrawal from UNESCO did nothing for the US or Israel. ”

The United States also withdrew from the agency in 1984 during the Cold War because the Reagan administration found the agency susceptible to Moscow influence and overly critical of Israel. President George W. Bush pledged to return to the organization in 2002, partly to demonstrate its willingness to cooperate internationally in the fight against Iraq.

U.S. officials recently argued that leaving a vacant seat at UNESCO has created a vacuum that big competitors, especially China, are trying to fill.

Undersecretary of State for Administration John Bass said in March that the US absence from UNESCO strengthened China and “undermined its ability to act effectively in furthering its vision of a free world,” The Associated Press reported. rice field.

Bass said UNESCO played a key role in shaping the world’s technology and science. “If we’re serious about competing with China in the digital age, we can’t afford to cut corners any longer,” he said, according to the Associated Press.