U.S. Notifies UNESCO It Will Withdraw, Citing Policy Differences

An administration official said the United States informed UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay that the United States will withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, saying continued involvement "is not in the national interest of The United States."

The official said the decision, communicated to UNESCO leadership, reflects a broader review of U.S. participation in international organizations conducted under a presidential executive order and aligns with the administration's "America First" foreign policy.

"UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the UN's sustainable development goals, a globalist ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy," the official said. The statement also said UNESCO's decision to admit the "state of Palestine" as a member state was "highly problematic" and contributed to "the proliferation of anti Israel rhetoric within the organization."

The official said continued U.S. participation in international organizations going forward "will focus on advancing American interests with clarity and conviction" and that the withdrawal is "one result" of the ongoing review. The transcript did not specify an effective date for the withdrawal, the administrative steps that will follow, or whether Congress or any other body was consulted.

The statement named Audrey Azoulay as the UNESCO director-general and cited a review under "President Trump's executive order" on participation in international organizations; the executive order was referenced in the transcript but not identified by number or date.

No legislative or congressional action was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the action described in the transcript is an executive-branch decision communicated to UNESCO leadership.