July 22, 2025 – Washington, D.C.
The United States will formally exit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by December 31, 2026, the State Department confirmed Monday, citing what it called the agency’s “divisive cultural and social agenda” and “problematic political shifts.”
A statement published on the department’s official website emphasized that the decision was influenced in part by UNESCO’s admission of Palestine as a member state, which the U.S. views as contrary to its foreign policy and as contributing to anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly elaborated on the move in comments to The New York Post, saying President Donald Trump personally ordered a 90-day internal review earlier this year to evaluate continued U.S. participation in UNESCO.
That review, according to Kelly, identified persistent anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment, as well as concerns about the organization’s promotion of what the administration described as “woke” policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“President Trump has decided to withdraw the United States from UNESCO, an organization that promotes progressive, divisive cultural and social initiatives that are completely at odds with the common-sense values Americans voted for in November,” Kelly said.
This marks the second U.S. withdrawal from UNESCO in recent years; the Trump administration previously pulled out in 2017, with the Biden administration later rejoining in 2023. The current decision reflects a renewed shift toward a more nationalist foreign policy stance under Trump’s second term.
UNESCO has not yet issued an official response to the announcement.
