After being absent for five years, the United States officially rejoined the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
Concerns that China has stepped forward to fill a leadership void left by the United States’ withdrawal under the Trump administration were the main driving force behind the United States’ return to the Paris-based UN agency.
The Biden administration’s request for the U.S. to rejoin was approved by the UNESCO governing board last week.
The U.S. delivered a document certifying it would accept the invitation on Monday, July 10, 2023. On Tuesday, UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay announced that it was official.
A welcome ceremony with a flag-raising and VIP guests is expected in late July.
“This is excellent news for UNESCO. The momentum we have regained in recent years will now continue to grow. Our initiatives will be stronger throughout the world.”
Audrey Azoulay
“Our organization is once again moving towards universality,” Azoulay remarked. She called the return of the United States “excellent news for multilateralism as a whole. If we want to meet the challenges of our century, there can only be a collective response.”
Last month, the Biden administration announced that it would apply to rejoin the 193-member organization that plays a major role in setting international standards for artificial intelligence and technology education.
The U.S. now becomes the 194th member of UNESCO.
The Biden administration has requested $150 million for the 2024 budget to go toward UNESCO dues and arrears. The plan foresees similar requests for the ensuing years until the full debt of $619 million is paid off.
That makes up a big chunk of UNESCO’s $534 million annual operating budget. Before leaving, the U.S. contributed 22% of the agency’s overall funding.
In 2017, the Trump administration announced that the U.S. would withdraw from UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias. That decision took effect a year later.
The U.S. and Israel stopped financing UNESCO after it voted to include Palestine as a member state in 2011.
The United States previously pulled out of UNESCO under the Reagan administration in 1984 because it viewed the agency as mismanaged, corrupt and used to advance Soviet interests. It rejoined in 2003 during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Azoulay And Blinken Discuss UNESCO’s Strategic Priorities
Meanwhile, it was reported that the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, had a telephone meeting on Sunday, July 9, 2023, with Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America.
Their conversation took place just a few days before the United States returned to UNESCO.
Azoulay and Blinken discussed the Organization’s major upcoming events and strategic priorities on the telephone.
“The Secretary of State emphasized the United States’ determination to play a full role in UNESCO’s mandate, and in particular to provide greater support for our work to promote education in Africa, the protection of heritage in Ukraine, the memory of The Holocaust and press freedom and the safety of journalists throughout the world.”
Audrey Azoulay
During the meeting, Antony Blinken reiterated that the United States of America will submit the official letter, in the next few days, making its return to UNESCO effective.
“I would like to thank Antony Blinken for this step, which is of historic significance for our Organization. The United States’ rejoining UNESCO is a victory for multilateralism – a demonstration that international cooperation is the key to meeting the challenges of our century.”
Audrey Azoulay
