Chicago – July 23, 2025
The Trump administration will withdraw the U.S. from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — about two years after the U.S. rejoined the group under Biden.
The agency focuses on promoting international collaboration in education, science and culture. It’s best known for its list of World Heritage sites, which acknowledge places with cultural or natural significance.
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that involvement in UNESCO is “not in the national interest of the United States,” accusing the U.N. agency of advancing “divisive social and cultural causes.”
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s director general, said the decision was disappointing but anticipated. According to Azoulay, the withdrawal will take effect at the end of 2026.
“This decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism, and may affect first and foremost our many partners in the United States of America — communities seeking site inscription on the World Heritage List, Creative City status, and University Chairs,” Azoulay said in a press release.
UNESCO has 194 member states and oversees more than 1,200 World Heritage sites — 26 of which are located in the U.S., including the Statue of Liberty, Yosemite National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. Sites that are added to the World Heritage list gain access to international funding to help with protection and conservation.
Among the reasons Bruce gave for the decision to withdraw from UNESCO, were the organization’s “outsized focus” on the U.N.’s sustainable development goals, which include fighting poverty and hunger, as well as promoting gender equality and clean energy.
