The decision comes two years after the Biden administration rejoined following a controversial, five-year absence that began during President Donald Trump’s first term.

The US on Tuesday withdrew from UNESCO – the UN’s culture and education agency – due to its "globalist, ideological agenda" and support for "divisive social and cultural causes", the White House said.

The country previously left the agency for two brief stints—once from 1984 to 2003 and again from 2017 to 2023. The newly announced decision will take effect by the end of 2026