Civic Register
| 10.12.17

U.S. To Leave United Nations Group Over 'Anti-Israel' Bias

Join us and tell your reps how you feel!

What’s the story?

The State Department announced that the U.S. will be leaving the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a group it helped found after WWII, by the end of 2018. The main issue driving the move is what the State Department calls UNESCO's "anti-Israel" bias.

Why does it matter?

According to their website, UNESCO is a global, multilateral organization focused on fostering peace through education, science and cultural initiatives:

"UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’S mission and activities.”

The organization was founded after WWII. It currently has 195 member states and 10 associate members. It is best known in the U.S. for its World Heritage Sites initiative, which helps protect and maintain over 1000 cultural sites around the globe deemed to be essential to human society. There are currently 23 World Heritage sites in the U.S. It is unclear what, if anything, will happen to the designation of U.S. sites when the U.S. exits.

The U.S. left UNESCO once before, in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan, over concerns about corruption and an ideological slant towards the Soviet Union. The U.S. returned in 2002, under President George W. Bush, as a move towards advancing human rights and tolerance.

In 2011 the U.S. stopped paying its $80 million annual dues to UNESCO because the organization admitted Palestine as a member state. U.S. law does not allow financial contributions to any organization that admits Palestine as a member.

In an official statement State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert argued that ‘anti-Israel’ bias was a significant part of why the U.S. is leaving UNESCO:

"This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects U.S. concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the move, calling it "brave and moral", according to Reuters.

Since going into arrears the U.S. has amassed over $500 million in debt to UNESCO and lost their voting privileges on the UNESCO General Council. The past due amount will stop climbing once the U.S. exits, but will need to be addressed, as the U.S. has requested to remain a non-member observer in order to continue bringing U.S. perspectives and goals to the table.

What do you think?

Do you support the U.S. leaving UNESCO or not? Should the U.S. be allowed to be a non-member observer, inserting U.S. priorities into initiatives, if it has such serious concerns about the organization and before it resolves its debt? Does the administration’s moves to exit multilateral agreements like the Paris Agreement and organizations like UNESCO signal a constructive prioritization of U.S. concerns or an isolationist perspective that harms U.S. and global interests?

Tell us in the comments what you think, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: National Park Service / Creative Commons)

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