UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is an international organization that runs under the auspices of the United Nations. UNESCO's charter is to promote "... cooperation in education, science, culture and communication to foster peace worldwide." Among other things, UNESCO administers World Heritage sites. But in recent years, UNESCO has also been accused of slanted, pro-China, pro-Palestine stances, among other woke priorities.
On Tuesday, the New York Post broke the story that President Trump is withdrawing the United States from UNESCO due to these priorities. Under President Biden, the U.S. rejoined UNESCO in 2021, after President Reagan withdrew the U.S. from the organization in 1983.
President Trump is pulling the US out of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), citing its anti-America and anti-Israel leanings as well as its woke agenda, The Post has learned.
Trump ordered a 90-day review of America’s presence in UNESCO back in February, with special emphasis on probing any “anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization.”
Upon conducting the review, administration officials took issue with UNESCO’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies as well as its pro-Palestinian and pro-China bias, a White House official told The Post.
This is hardly a surprise, since the Trump administration has been pushing for the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion policies right here in the United States, in government, the military, in education, in any area where the federal government has any influence.
The United Nations in general has not been popular with the American right for some time, in no small part because of these kinds of policies.
“President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO — which supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November,” White House deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
“This President will always put America First and ensure our country’s membership in all international organizations aligns with our national interests.”
Among the faults cited are UNESCO’s publication of an “anti-racism toolkit” in 2023 and its 2024 “Transforming MEN’talities” initiative, the former of which called on member states to adopt “anti-racist” policies and compete in a “race to the top” to be the foremost social justice advocate, answering questions about the history of racism in their jurisdictions and then working to ensure equity.
None of these activities produces any value to the nations involved. There's no reason for the United States to be a part of this.
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In fact, the United Nations is a moribund organization that has largely outlived its purpose. Any organization that would, among other things, appoint Iran as the chair in a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva has descended into absurdity. There's little or no reason for the United States' continued involvement in what has become a dictator's club, unfriendly to the West in general and to the United States in particular.
Withdrawing from UNESCO (again) was the right idea. Withdrawing from the UN altogether would be a better one. Sell the UN building; let them build a new one in Brussels, or Beijing, or Tehran if they prefer. There's no value for the United States in remaining involved.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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