Posted on 06/15/2023 9:09:13 AM PDT by silent majority rising
The U.S. may soon rejoin UNESCO several years after exiting the body, in part because of what the Trump administration called a bias against Israel.
UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — said in a press release Monday that the State Department had sent the Paris-based organization a letter announcing its decision to rejoin the educational and cultural body, which is widely known for its list of World Heritage Sites.
"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."
Congress agreed last year that the U.S. could make financial contributions to UNESCO, and the group said in December that the country could return as a member, though the proposed plan must be approved by member states.
The State Department did not immediately reply to NPR's request for comment.
In late 2017, the State Department announced it would leave UNESCO the following year over a perceived anti-Israel bias, financial woes and other concerns. Nikki Haley, who was the U.S. ambassador to the UN at the time, praised UNESCO's purpose but claimed the group's "extreme politicization has become a chronic embarrassment."
The U.S. cut funding off under former President Obama in 2011 following a vote by UNESCO member states to admit Palestine.
The State Department said the move triggered "longstanding legislative restrictions." The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, passed in 1990, forces the U.S. to cut off support to any UN group that gives the Palestinian Liberation Organization the same standing as other member states.
This isn't the first time the U.S. has pulled out of UNESCO only to rejoin later.
UNESCO declares borsch cooking an endangered Ukrainian heritage EUROPE UNESCO declares borsch cooking an endangered Ukrainian heritage The country exited UNESCO in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan, citing "poor management and values opposed to our own," including advocating for limits on freedom of the press, according to the State Department. The U.S. wouldn't rejoin the body for nearly two decades.
In 2002 President George W. Bush announced a return to UNESCO, praising reforms to the management structure and the group's renewed dedication to the values of press freedom and universal education.
Biden wants to erase 'them damn Jews' from Palestine (//sarc//)
Stolen elections have consequences, and this is just one of them.
It’s not very clear… did we stop funding in 2011 and exit in 2017 under Trump and Nikki Haley?
The enemy regime in "power" today in America wants to.
REAL Americans are pretty well fed up with the public school system and it was the correct Trump call to pull out.
The Bidenskyyyy Bastards are out looking for crap third world organizations to throw American Taxpayer dollars at.
The Biden regime decided to hand UNESCO $600 million of our money to a America-hating, Jew-hating, Israel-hating, Islamofascist organization, precisely because it is those four things.
Observe the language. There are those of us -- part of the U.S. -- who DO NOT WANT this.
Another reason to push back against the corruption of Democrats, RINOs and the UN, of which UNESCO is a part.
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C. S. Lewis
[[The Bidenskyyyy Bastards are out looking for crap third world organizations to throw American Taxpayer dollars at.]]
Instead of throwing craploads of $$ to disabled and wounded veterans who served the nation- They get diddly while terrorist nations get billions- so many much better places to spend $$ than on natiosn that hate us
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.