WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States officially joined the scientific, educational and cultural organization of the United Nations on Tuesday after a five-year absence.
The United States’ return to Paris-based UNESCO was based primarily on fears that China had filled a leadership vacuum since the United States withdrew under the Trump administration. The UNESCO board voted last week to approve the Biden administration’s proposal to join the United States.
On Monday, the United States handed over a document certifying that it would accept the invitation. On Tuesday, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay declared it official. A welcome ceremony with flag raising and VIP guests is scheduled for the end of July.
“This is excellent news for UNESCO. The momentum we have regained in recent years will now continue to grow. Our initiatives will be stronger all over the world,” Azoulay said.
The Biden administration announced last month that it would apply to join the 193-member organization that plays a major role in setting international standards for artificial intelligence and technology education.
The United States is now the 194th member of UNESCO.
“Our organization is once again moving towards universality,” Azoulay said. She called the US return “great news for multilateralism as a whole. If we are to meet the challenges of our century, there can only be a collective response.
The Trump administration in 2017 announced that the United States would withdraw from UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias. This decision which took effect a year later.
The United States and Israel stopped funding UNESCO after voting to include Palestine as a member state in 2011.
The Biden administration has requested $150 million for the 2024 budget to cover UNESCO dues and arrears. The plan calls for similar demands for years to come until the total debt of $619 million is paid off.
This represents a large portion of UNESCO’s $534 million annual operating budget. Before leaving, the United States contributed 22% of the agency’s overall funding.
The United States previously withdrew from UNESCO under the Reagan administration in 1984 because it viewed the agency as mismanaged, corrupt, and used to advance Soviet interests. He joined in 2003 under President George W. Bush.