Really nice article, a professional actually doing their job almost made me want to cry

Audrey Azoulay, director-general of the agency, said the U.S. withdrawal—which President Donald Trump also imposed during his first term, and which will eliminate about 8% of UNESCO’s international funding—was “regrettable,” but that the organization would continue operating without a reduction in staff, having prepared for the president’s exit. 

“In spite of President Donald Trump’s first withdrawal in 2017, UNESCO stepped up its efforts to take action wherever its mission could contribute to peace and demonstrated the pivotal nature of its mandate,” said Azoulay, noting that UNESCO adopted a “global standard-setting instrument on the ethics of artificial intelligence,” developed major programs for education in conflict settings, took action to defend biodiversity, and oversaw the reconstruction of Mosul, Iraq—all without the participation of the United States. 

Azouly added that the reasons for the U.S. withdrawal, which will go into effect in December 2026, “contradict the reality of UNESCO’s efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism.”