The US is prohibited by law from providing funding to UN orgs that recognize #Palestine. UNESCO admitted Palestine in 2011, leading to a loss of US funding and the consequent loss of US vote in the UNESCO General Conference in 2013. [2/5]
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As I argued here, the US withdrawal from UNESCO during Trump 1.0 was mostly symbolic, b/c the US had already lost its vote. But the US rejoined under Biden because Congress waived the funding prohibition to allow the US to counter Chinese influence. [3/5]
As such, the 90-day review of US membership in UNESCO will be a test to see which is more important to US foreign policy (and US posture at the UN) under Trump 2.0: anti-Israel sentiment or countering Chinese influence. [4/5]
If the US decides to leave UNESCO, the earliest that this could take place would be the end of 2026.
Under Article II, Section 6 of the UNESCO Constitution, any Member State may withdraw by giving written notice; the withdrawal takes effect on 31 December of the year after notification. [5/5]
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https://theglobalobservatory.org/2024/11/what-might-be-in-store-for-the-united-nations-under-a-second-trump-presidency/
Under Article II, Section 6 of the UNESCO Constitution, any Member State may withdraw by giving written notice; the withdrawal takes effect on 31 December of the year after notification. [5/5]