To oppose China’s growing influence on UNESCO, the United States decides to join the UN Cultural and Scientific Agency.
After the decade-long dispute because of UNESCO’s decision to include Palestine as a member, the United States plans to rejoin and pay $600 million back in dues. This decision to return was highly fueled by the increasing involvement of China, possibly trying to fill up the vacancy available by the US stepping out, in the policymaking.
An official letter was submitted by the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Rerma to the UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay last week about plans of rejoining.
The ambassadors of the institution were informed about the US, which is one of the institution’s biggest funders, wanting to rejoin. This return is going to face a vote by 193 member states next month.
If the US rejoins, it will be a huge financial hike for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is known for programs to fight climate change, save cultural heritage, and educate girls.
The US and Isreal decided to stop funding UNESCO after they decided to include Palestine as a member in 2011. Consequently, they lost their voting rights in 2013. The following year, the Trump government decided to withdraw altogether saying the institution made anti-Isreal biases and severe management problems.
Since Azoulay was elected in 2017, she has made sure to work to address the reasons because of why the US left. She made budget reforms and built consensus among Jordanians, Palestinians, and Israeli diplomats around UNESCO resolutions.
Sources report that the decision of the US to rejoin was a result of five years through which Azoulay worked to calm the tension between countries, improved the response to challenges, resumed missions on the ground and modernized the working of the organisation.
The US government plans to pay its 2023 dues with an additional amount of %10 million in bonus for this year’s Holocaust education, preservation of cultural heritage in Ukraine, journalist safety, and technological education in Africa.
The Biden government ordered $150 million from the 2024 budget to go to the UNESCO dues. Such plans will continue until the debt by the US isn’t paid off.
UNESCO plays a major role in shaping the standards for technology and science teaching worldwide. If the US wishes to compete with China in the digital-age race, it cannot afford to be absent from the game any longer.
The absence of the country left UNESCO in financial uncertainty as it contributed 22% of the institution’s overall funding.
The diplomats told sources that they are open to welcoming Isreal as well if they wish to rejoin.
