The U.S. Department of State announced this week that the United States will once again withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The withdrawal will take effect Dec. 31, 2026.
In 2008, Iowa City became the first city in the U.S. — and the third in the world — to be named a UNESCO City of Literature. City of Literature Executive Director John Kenyon said that, despite the withdrawal, he doesn't expect that designation to be affected.
"A city needs to be part of a country that is a member of UNESCO for it to be designated, but then, once you have the designation, that relationship is then between the city and UNESCO," he said.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a news release that continued involvement in UNESCO is “not in the national interest of the United States.” A release from the administration further cited concerns about UNESCO’s focus on the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and its 2011 decision to admit Palestine as a full member, calling it “highly problematic” and a contributor to “anti-Israel rhetoric” within the organization.
In a statement, the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the decision.
This marks the third time this year the Trump administration has announced plans to exit a U.N. agency, following its withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the U.N. Human Rights Council.
It’s also the third time that the U.S. has cut ties with UNESCO. The U.S. first withdrew from the agency in 1984, during the Cold War, partly because the Reagan administration felt UNESCO was overly critical of Israel. President George W. Bush pledged to rejoin the organization in 2002.
The Obama administration ended funding for UNESCO in 2011 after Palestine was admitted as a member, and the Trump administration formally withdrew in 2017, which became effective in 2018. The Biden administration reversed that decision in 2023, citing the growing influence of rival powers like China in the United States' absence.
Kenyon said Iowa City's designation has remained through it all, and he doesn't expect that to change this time around.
"We had that relationship with UNESCO, so obviously there were negative repercussions of our country not being a member of UNESCO, but in terms of the designation and our status, nothing changed there," he said. "My hope is that that's the same this time, and I have no reason to believe it won't be."
Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Paris, UNESCO is known primarily for its World Heritage site designations, but also maintains global networks to promote education, science and culture. It has long faced accusations of political bias, particularly in its handling of Israel-Palestine relations.
"UNESCO just does so many amazingly wonderful things around the world," Kenyon said. "They look out for the status of women and children. They do things related to the protection of cultural assets, be they tangible or intangible. It is not an organization that is pushing some sort of a 'woke' agenda. It's an organization that is looking out for the best interests of huge swaths of the world, and without our resources, they are going to be compromised in their ability to do that."
