The U.N. cultural and scientific agency UNESCO said Monday the United States plans to rejoin the organization in July, nearly five years after leaving.
UNESCO said in a statement the move included a “concrete financing plan” that must be approved by member states.
Before its withdrawal, the United States was a leading financial supporter of UNESCO, providing about 22% of its budget. But it stopped financial contributions in 2011 after Palestinian membership was approved and withdrew altogether in 2018 with the Trump administration accusing UNESCO of anti-Israel bias.
UNESCO said in recent years it has worked to “reduce political tensions and find consensus on the most sensitive topics, such as the Middle East.”
“This is a strong act of confidence, in UNESCO and in multilateralism,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement. “Not only in the centrality of the Organization’s mandate – culture, education, science, information – but also in the way this mandate is being implemented today.”
U.S. President Joe Biden has requested $150 million in next year’s budget for UNESCO dues and back payments.
U.S. officials said ahead of Monday’s announcement that not having a presence at UNESCO was giving an edge to China, including on the issue of setting standards for artificial intelligence.
Source : VOA
