With Chinese Influence Growing, US Intends To Join Back UNESCO

In view of China's rising influence in the policy making of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United States is moving to rejoin the UN's cultural agency from next month, four and half years after it left the organisation.

The US, along with Israel, had withdrawn from UNESCO in December 2018 accusing the body of bias against Israel. Moreover, they had stopped funding the organisation after it voted to include Palestine as a member-state in 2011. The US was a founding member of UNESCO when it was established in 1945 with Paris as its headquarters.

US officials said that the decision to return was motivated by the concern that China is filling the gap left by the US in UNESCO policy-making, notably in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world.

It was not the first time the US deserted the agency. It had withdrawn in 1984 too in protest against alleged financial mismanagement and perceived anti-US bias, returning almost 20 years later in 2003 under President George W. Bush, who then said the agency had undertaken needed reforms. While it stopped funding in 2011, Barack Obama was the President.

Expressing its intention to join back the UN agency, the US Department of State has said that it welcomes "the way in which UNESCO had addressed in recent years emerging challenges, modernised its management, and reduced political tensions."

However, Washington has to cough up more than $600 million as outstanding dues it was supposed to pay at the time of quitting under President Donald Trump. The US was one of the biggest donors of the organisation with one-fifth of the agency's funding coming from it alone.

Moreover, it will have to face a vote by the UNESCO member-states, which it expects to pass easily. The proposed plan must now be submitted to the General Conference of UNESCO member-states for approval. Some member-states have already called for an extraordinary session to be held soon to decide on the matter.

Welcoming the US back, UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement that "it is a strong act of confidence in UNESCO and in multilateralism." US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma submitted a letter last week to Azoulay formalising the plan to rejoin.

In the letter, Verma has noted the progress in depoliticising debate about the Middle East and reforming the agency's management. Azoulay has worked to address those concerns since her election in 2017, and that appears to have paid off.