The United States announced yesterday that it is withdrawing from UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, citing dissatisfaction with the management of the agency and, according to Washington, its anti-Israel attitude.
"This decision was not made lightly, and reflects US concerns about the growing debt to UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform of the organization, and the continued anti-Israel stance," the State Department said in a statement. Officials
The US told the AP agency that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made the decision and that it was not discussed with other countries.
A few hours after the US announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is also preparing to withdraw from UNESCO. According to Reuters, Netanyahu said that the US decision was "courageous and moral" and instructed his Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin preparations for leaving the organization.
The withdrawal of the US, from which UNESCO received a fifth of its total donations, is a severe blow to the Paris-based organization, which began work in 1946 and is known for awarding World Heritage status to certain sites.
In accordance with the rules of UNESCO, the withdrawal will take effect from the end of December 2018. Until then, the USA, which annually pays this organization 80 million dollars, will remain a full member.
The organization, which has 195 members and employs about 2000 people worldwide, has long been the target of criticism for mismanagement of resources and for resolutions that Israel and some other countries consider biased.
The official, who asked not to be named, told AP that the US is particularly angry at UNESCO because of resolutions denying Jewish ties to holy sites and referring to Israel as an occupying power.
Director General Irina Bokova expressed disappointment over the US decision. "At a time when conflicts are tearing societies apart around the world, it is extremely unfortunate that the US is withdrawing from a UN agency that promotes education for peace and the protection of an attacked culture," she said, adding: "This is a loss for the UN family. This is a loss for multilateralism". UNESCO is in the process of electing a new director general.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said yesterday that it regretted the US decision, adding that the move would disrupt a number of important projects planned by the agency. "We share the concern of my countries that UNESCO's activities have been too politicized lately," the statement said. "We hope that the new director general will make efforts to change the current situation and focus exclusively on humanitarian issues, which would allow us to continue beneficial cooperation with all countries, including the US."
The move by the United States reflects President Donald Trump's skepticism about the need for the US to be involved in multilateral bodies. As Reuters reminds us, he is an advocate of the "America in the right place" policy, which puts American economic and nationalistic interests ahead of international obligations.
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