US Returns to UNESCO... "Decision to be Made After Member Countries' Consent in July"

UN Subsidiary Agency's Move to Block China's Influence

The Biden administration in the United States has decided to rejoin UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), one of its major foreign policy goals. This comes six years after the withdrawal during the Donald Trump administration and is seen as a strategic move to curb the expanding influence of the Chinese government on key agendas within the UN-affiliated organization.

On the 11th (local time), the political news outlet Axios reported that Secretary of State Richard Burman sent a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay on the 8th, expressing the intention to rejoin.

Director-General Azoulay convened an emergency meeting on the 12th, during which she is expected to explain the United States' intention to return to member states. The U.S. rejoining UNESCO will be finalized after gaining approval from member states at a special general assembly scheduled for July.

The United States and UNESCO have reportedly engaged in lengthy discussions over a rejoining scenario that includes resuming payment of dues and returning to the board.

Axios explained, "Rejoining UNESCO is one of the Biden administration's key policy objectives" and "part of efforts to prevent the expansion of China's influence within UN-affiliated organizations."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

During the Obama administration in 2011, after Palestine joined UNESCO, the United States halted budget support for UNESCO citing its anti-Israel stance, and in October 2017, it abruptly withdrew from UNESCO.

Following the U.S., Israel also withdrew immediately, causing a global diplomatic stir. At that time, China criticized the U.S. stance, stating it would "continue to participate in and support UNESCO's work."

After rejoining UNESCO, the United States hopes to be elected as a board member in the upcoming November elections, and Axios added that there is already a consensus among Western countries regarding this.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.