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The U.N.'s cultural and scientific agency, UNESCO, announced Monday that the United States plans to return to the agency and pay more than $600 million in arrears — after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organization's move to include Palestine as a member.
US officials said the decision to return was motivated by concern that China is filling the void left by the US in UNESCO's policymaking, particularly in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world.
US Under-Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma sent a letter last week to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay formalizing the plan to reunite.
Applause erupted in UNESCO's solemn auditorium as Azoulay announced the plan to ambassadors at a special meeting on Monday, and delegates rose to welcome the news.
The return of the US, once the agency's biggest funder, is expected to face a vote by its 193 member states next month, according to a UNESCO diplomat.
The decision is a major financial boost for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, known for its World Heritage program as well as projects to fight climate change and teach girls to read and write.
The US and Israel stopped funding UNESCO after it voted to admit Palestine as a member state in 2011, and both countries lost their voting rights in 2013.
The Trump administration decided in 2017 to withdraw from the agency altogether.
In his letter last week, Verma pointed to UNESCO's efforts to reform management and "reduce politicized debate, particularly on Middle East issues."
Since her election in 2017, Azoulay has worked to address the reasons for the US withdrawal, through budget reforms and building consensus among Jordanian, Palestinian and Israeli diplomats around sensitive UNESCO resolutions.
The US decision to return "is the result of five years of work during which we calmed tensions, particularly in the Middle East, improved our response to contemporary challenges, restarted key initiatives on the ground and modernized the organization's operations" , Azoulay told The Associated Press.
Under the plan, the US government will pay its 2023 obligations plus $10 million in bonus contributions this year earmarked for Holocaust education, cultural heritage preservation in Ukraine, journalist safety and science and technology education in Africa, the letter said. written by Richard Verma.
The Biden administration has already requested $150 million in the 2024 budget to pay UNESCO arrears.
The plan calls for similar requests for years to come until the full $619 million in debt is paid off.
This makes up a large portion of UNESCO's $534 million annual operating budget.
Before leaving, the US contributed 22% of the agency's total funding.
The United States had previously withdrawn from UNESCO under President Reagan's administration in 1984 because it viewed the agency as mismanaged, corrupt, and used to advance Soviet interests.
The US rejoined the organization in 2003./REL
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