Donald Trump’s administration has decided to withdraw the United States from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). According to the New York Post, the White House explained this step by disagreeing with the organisation’s policy, which it described as “anti-American”, “anti-Israel” and “overly progressive”.
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Back in February, Trump signed an executive order for a 90-day review of US participation in UNESCO, focusing on the assessment of anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli manifestations. Based on the results of the review, US officials criticised the organisation’s approaches to inclusivity, diversity and equality, considering them incompatible with “realistic politics”.
Among UNESCO’s decisions that have caused dissatisfaction in Washington are the “anti-racism toolkit”, which recommends that countries more actively implement anti-racist legislation, as well as the “Transforming the Male Mentality” initiative and a report on the impact of video games on gender equality.
A separate reaction was caused by UNESCO’s decisions on Jewish holy sites, which the organisation recognised as Palestinian cultural heritage. Washington called it an example of the “politicisation of culture and history”.
The US is also concerned about China’s growing role in UNESCO. According to the administration, Beijing is the second largest donor to the organisation after Japan, and Chinese representatives hold a number of senior positions. According to the White House, China is using this to promote its own vision of international standards.
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