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Following a near six-year absence, the US has been officially readmitted to Unesco as the organisation’s 194th member state.
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 18 Jul 2023
Following a near six-year absence, the US has been officially readmitted to Unesco as the organisation’s 194th member state.
A founding member of the UN’s cultural agency, which holds responsibility for protecting cultural heritage among other global issues, the US has officially rejoined the organisation after member states voted overwhelmingly in favour of readmitting the country.
Once one of Unesco’s highest contributors, the US withdrew funding in 2011 after Palestine was made a member state. In 2013 it lost voting privileges, before withdrawing from the organisation altogether in 2017 under the Trump administration, citing management issues and anti-Israel bias.
The decision to re-engage with Unesco was reportedly motivated by the now-Biden administration’s concerns over the growing influence of China on Unesco. The US’s readmission, which involves repayment of more than US$600m in membership fees, attempts to counter this influence.
“This is a historic moment,” said Unesco’s director-general, Audrey Azoulay. “Our Organisation is once again moving towards universality.”
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