Paris, June 12 (EFE).- The United States has announced its intention to rejoin the UN’s scientific and educational agency in July.
The US pulled out of the UN agency in 2017 during the tenure of then-president Donald Trump, who accused it of repeatedly adopting anti-Israeli positions.
A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) statement said the US “has officially notified its decision to rejoin in July 2023 based on a concrete financing plan.”
“This is a strong act of confidence in UNESCO and multilateralism,” Unesco head Audrey Azoulay.
“Not only in the centrality of the organization’s mandate – culture, education, science, information – but also in the way this mandate is being implemented today.”
The return of the US was made possible by the agreement reached by Congress in December 2022 authorizing financial contributions to Unesco.
The US suspended its contributions in 2011 due to domestic legislation before notifying Unesco of its decision to withdraw on Oct.12, 2017.
The proposed financing plan must go to the General Conference of Unesco member states for approval.
Some member states have requested a sooner extraordinary session to make a quick. EFE
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