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What to Know About the U.S. Move to Withdraw From UNESCO

The Trump administration plans to pull out of the U.N. cultural agency, putting UNESCO back at the center of geopolitical rivalry.

© Alain Jocard/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

UNESCO’s director general, Audrey Azoulay, at the agency’s headquarters in Paris, in 2023.

As Trump Quits UNESCO, China Expands Influence

Washington had been a buffer against China’s efforts to use UNESCO to influence education, historical designations and even artificial intelligence.

© Jessica Lee/EPA, via Shutterstock

The Temple of Heaven in Beijing is a UNESCO World Heritage site. China has spent years trying to influence the U.N. cultural agency.

U.S. Says It Will Withdraw From UNESCO, Again

A decision to pull out of UNESCO was the latest move by the Trump administration to cut ties with international organizations.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

The move to leave UNESCO reflects President Trump’s deep mistrust and distaste of multilateralism and international institutions.
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