The United States has formally notified UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay of its decision to withdraw from the cultural and educational agency for the third time, with the move set to take effect on December 31, 2026.
"Continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States," the Department of State said in a statement issued on Tuesday. It accused the organization of advancing "divisive social and cultural causes" and maintaining "an outsized focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals," which it described as a "globalist, ideological agenda... at odds with our America First foreign policy."
The decision also referenced UNESCO's admission of the "State of Palestine" as a member state, calling it "highly problematic" and a contributor to "the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric."
The director general called Washington's move "regrettable," but also "expected." The US first left the agency in 1984, rejoined in 2003, withdrew again in 2018, and returned in 2023.
