Return to UNESCO; Blinken: America is Safe and Strong When Engaging with the World

Representatives of 193 UNESCO member countries voted positively in response to the White House's request to return to UNESCO. The White House had asked the United Nations in early June to take necessary actions for the United States' return to UNESCO. The U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, registered its withdrawal from UNESCO in October 2017, and subsequently, Israel followed suit. Both countries finalized and executed this withdrawal at the beginning of 2019 due to UNESCO's 'one-sided and anti-Israeli' positions. However, with the Biden administration taking office, the White House's approach changed, and the United States officially requested the United Nations in early June to initiate actions for the U.S. to rejoin this important international organization. In this context, representatives from 193 countries convened on Thursday at the organization's headquarters in Paris to discuss the U.S. request for re-entry and ultimately agreed to it. This comes amid previous concerns expressed by the U.S. and other countries regarding China's growing influence in this organization. U.S. Secretary of State issued a statement in response to the UNESCO member countries' decision, stating: 'This week, UNESCO members gathered for a special meeting to consider the U.S. proposal for rejoining UNESCO, which restores U.S. leadership on many important and valuable issues.' He also referred to the U.S. commitments to this organization, stating: 'We reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism and diplomacy on important issues, including the protection of journalists, expanding access to education, promoting new and emerging technologies, protecting cultural heritage, and reminding of great crimes such as the Holocaust to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated.' He further expressed: 'I am encouraged and grateful that today our membership proposal, which allows the United States to take the next official steps to rejoin the organization, has been accepted. As President Biden has repeatedly noted, the United States is safer and stronger when we engage with the rest of the world. By rejoining UNESCO, the United States will reinforce this message and restore our leadership on the international stage.'