The Trump administration announced on July 22 that the U.S. will withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by the end of 2026.

The U.S. State Department said that the country's involvement with the UN agency is no longer in its national interest, adding that the UNESCO policy and its "outsized focus" on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals sit "at odds with our America first foreign policy."

Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, said in a statement that she "deeply regrets" the decision and underscored that, "This decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism."

As one of the founding members of the UN, the U.S. has long played a significant role in international affairs. However, its latest withdrawal from UNESCO once again reveals the unilateral tendencies in its foreign policy and highlights its ongoing retreat from multilateral mechanisms.

The two parties have experienced an on-again, off-again relationship over the past decade. The U.S. first withdrew from UNESCO in 1984 and rejoined in 2003. Then the first Trump administration quit the organization in 2017, and the U.S. reentered it under the Biden administration in 2023. Now, this is the third time that the U.S. leave the Paris-based agency, showing a pattern of inconsistency.

The latest decision to exit is closely tied to the "America First" policy championed by the Trump administration, which prioritizes narrow national interests over international cooperation and global development. Under this framework, the U.S. has repeatedly distanced itself from international organizations and multilateral mechanisms that are not in line with its perceived interests. Since January 2025, the U.S. has also pulled out of the Paris Agreement, the World Health Organization as well as the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Such actions not only undermine international order and multilateral cooperation but also erode trust and coordination within the international community, especially in addressing global issues like climate change, education access, and cultural preservation.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major power in the world, the U.S. should play a constructive role in international affairs, safeguarding the authority and effectiveness of international organizations, rather than choosing to abandon them when faced with differences.

"Unilaterally withdrawing the United States from UNESCO is another assault by the Trump administration on international cooperation and U.S. global leadership," Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Associated Press.

"Continued withdrawals may contribute to a fragmented global order in which national interests supersede shared responsibility," said the New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs, a U.S. policy and research institute.

Under the current complex and rapidly changing international landscape, all countries should firmly support multilateralism and jointly address global challenges. UNESCO plays a vital role in advancing human civilization and international cooperation. While the U.S. withdrawal presents a setback, UNESCO will continue to promote multilateral engagement and foster global collaboration, with the continued support of the international community.