Blog by Evelyne Para, SI UN Representative at UNESCO

On 29 and 30 June 2023, the 193 Member States of UNESCO meeting in an extraordinary General Conference examined and approved by a very large majority the proposal submitted by the United States to rejoin again the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), headquartered in Paris.

Under the presidency of Donald Trump, the United States had legally left UNESCO in 2017, in retaliation for what they believed was anti-Israeli bias. They had already suspended payment of their dues in 2011 when the Palestinians became members. Present at this extraordinary session, with other representatives of NGOs, I give you my testimony on these two days marked by the interventions of certain States in the tense geopolitical context that we are experiencing today.

A great day for UNESCO and for Multilateralism

On 8 June 2023, the United States sent a letter to the head of UNESCO, proposing to rejoin the organisation as of July 2023. This American decision is part of the general context of the growing rivalry stronger between Washington and Beijing, and while China wishes to transform the international multilateral order set up after the Second World War, of which UNESCO is an emanation.

The 193 Member States of UNESCO met from Thursday 29 June in an extraordinary session of the General Conference to examine this proposal, and by the end of the afternoon of Friday 30 June, they adopted the American proposal by a very large majority (132 votes for, 10 votes against).

“Strengthened by its renewed momentum in recent years, our Organisation is once again tending towards universality with the return of the United States. It is a great day for UNESCO and for multilateralism, it is a strong act of confidence in UNESCO”

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

A reinforced budget to implement the action programmes

The request for reinstatement of the United States to UNESCO was accompanied by a concrete financial proposal, including the commitment to reimburse their arrears estimated at $619 million, more than the annual budget of UNESCO estimated at $534 million. The United States will fund the equivalent of 22% of UNESCO’s regular budget. To this, the progressive payment of their arrears will be added, and from 2023, voluntary contributions to implement programs dedicated to Education, Culture, Science and Information.

“China is now the biggest contributor to UNESCO”, noted the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, and “we are not even at the table. It is important that we go back there”. The US State Department then requested $150 million to finance this return in the Biden administration’s draft budget for the fiscal year 2024, an equivalent amount to be disbursed in the following years “until the absorption” of the arrears at UNESCO.

So, UNESCO will be able to effectively strengthen the modernisation of its management, and step up its action in particular for Africa and gender equality, its two strategic priorities, while continuing to launch new initiatives enabling it to meet the emerging challenges and to fully understand today’s issues such as artificial intelligence ethics and oceans protection. It will also continue to conduct mediations to ease political tensions and find consensus on the most sensitive issues.

Reinstatement approved, after tough discussions

“The resolution has been adopted”, announced the president of the assembly, the Brazilian Santiago Irazabal Mourao, at the end of the afternoon of Friday 30 June, triggering warm applause from representatives of member states and NGOs.
Some 132 states voted for this American return, 15 abstained and 10 opposed it, including Iran, Syria, China and especially Russia.
From Thursday 29 June, at the opening of the extraordinary session of the General Conference, the Russian delegation, supported by that of Belarus, had multiplied the number of speeches on points of procedure and proposed amendments to pure form in order to delay the debates and the final decision.

 

In conclusion,

NGOs can only welcome the return to UNESCO of the United States, one of the founding members of the UN Agency, because we need all Member States to join hands in order to refocus on essential needs of our societies, so that they are more inclusive, supportive and peaceful.