U.S. Exits UNESCO Again Over ‘Woke’ Causes, UN Says Funding Unlikely To Be Impacted

President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the UN culture and education agency UNESCO, repeating a move he had already ordered during his first term, which had been reversed under Joe Biden. The withdrawal from the Paris-based agency, which was founded after World War Two to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture, will take effect on December 31, 2026. The U.S. State Department accused UNESCO of supporting "a globalist, ideological agenda for international development at odds with our America First foreign policy", adding that adding Palestine as a member state was “highly problematic, contrary to U.S. policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric.” A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Stéphane Dujarric, said the U.N. chief "deeply regretted the decision,” adding that the funding of the body was unlikely to take a hit.