US President Donald Trump has directed the United States to withdraw once again from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), citing what he calls its "woke" and "divisive" agenda, Reuters reported Tuesday. The move revives a 2017 decision during Trump's first term to exit the Paris-based agency, which was later reversed by President Joe Biden. The withdrawal will formally take effect at the end of 2026, pending procedural notifications. The decision underscores Trump's "America First" foreign policy platform, which has historically cast multilateral institutions like the UN, NATO, and the World Trade Organisation as vehicles for eroding US sovereignty. The State Department cited long-standing concerns over UNESCO's decision to admit Palestine as a full member and what it described as the agency's institutional bias against Israel. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said the agency regrets the US decision but noted that it had adjusted to reduced American involvement. US contributions now account for just 8 per cent of UNESCO's annual budget, down from nearly a quarter prior to Trump's original withdrawal. The response has fallen along predictable geopolitical lines. Israel welcomed the decision, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar praising Washington's "moral support and leadership." Meanwhile, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) criticised the move as "short-sighted," warning it could cede influence to China, now UNESCO's largest financial backer. French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated France's strong commitment to the agency, calling it a a "universal protector" of cultural heritage. The US first joined UNESCO in 1945 but has had a fraught relationship with the body for decades, marked by disputes over governance, funding, and political bias. The latest exit adds to the growing list of Trump-era reversals that may shape the US foreign policy landscape in the event of a second Trump presidency. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: Y.Yasser
