Anthony Blinken — © REUTERS
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken wants the US to rejoin UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. He said this during the parliamentary committee session.
jvhSource: Belga
“I think we should go back to UNESCO,” says Blinken. “Not to give them a gift, but the things that happen there are really important.” The Minister referred to discussions on education and artificial intelligence being held within the UN system.
But US membership is also crucial to countering China’s dominance. China is currently the largest contributor to UNESCO. “We’re not even sitting at the table. It’s important that we return.” The State Department has demanded $150 million in withdrawals.
The United States withdrew from UNESCO at the end of 2018. Then-US President Donald Trump blamed the organization’s “anti-Israel bias” for the decision. In 2011, the United States had already suspended funding to UNESCO in protest over the decision to admit Palestine as a member state.
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