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Mahesh

17/06/23 05:46 AM IST

US wants to rejoin UNESCO

In News
  • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) announced recently that the United States will rejoin it in July, after four years.
US Withdrawal
  • The US stopped funding UNESCO, worth millions of dollars, in 2011 after Palestine became a member of the agency.
  • This decision was made by then President Barack Obama, who halted the funding due to Palestine’s status as a non-sovereign state, not recognized by the United Nations.
  • Although Palestine was included as a non-member observer state in 2012, granting them participation in General Assembly proceedings, they lacked voting rights. Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, Nimrod Barkan, supported the US decision, objecting to the “politicisation of UNESCO” caused by Palestine’s membership.
  • During the presidency of Ronald Reagan in 1984, the US exited from UNESCO as it perceived the agency to be poorly managed, fraudulent, and a tool of Soviet advancement.
  • After nineteen years, the US returned to the organization in 2003 led by George Bush, who expressed that the country will participate entirely in the mission of UNESCO to elevate human rights, learning, and tolerance, signifying commitment to human dignity.
Palestine- Israel conflict
  • The Palestinians claim territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war for their own independent state, while Israel believes that UN recognition is an attempt to pressure them into concessions.
  • This has led to tensions and a pushback against UNESCO’s alleged anti-Israel bias, including criticism of its occupation of East Jerusalem and declaring ancient Jewish sites as Palestinian heritage sites.
  • US laws prohibit funding to any UN agency that recognizes Palestinian demands for their own state but an agreement was reached in 2022 to resume funding for UNESCO.
UNESCO
  • UNESCO is a UN agency tasked with furthering international cooperation and peace through the promotion of educational, scientific and cultural causes.
  • For instance, it designates locations globally as World Heritage Sites, which means international recognition and possible funding.
  • The United States was a founding member of UNESCO in 1945.
Source- Indian Express

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