USA 31 Dec officially discontinued full membership of the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (UNESCO). Washington will no longer do membership fees and will not be able to nominate their representatives to the world heritage Committee of UNESCO

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USA 31 Dec officially discontinued full membership of the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (UNESCO). Washington will no longer do membership fees and will not be able to nominate their representatives to the world heritage Committee of UNESCO.

The United States will remain a state permanent observer at UNESCO and will continue to comply with the provisions of the Convention on the protection of cultural and natural heritage 1972. In addition, the United States will be able to put forward for consideration new heritage sites.

Washington will also participate in the protection of the world cultural heritage, press freedom, the promotion of scientific cooperation and the educational process, notes TASS.

In the USA there are 23 sites included in the world heritage list of UNESCO. Among them the statue of Liberty, Grand canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks. After the withdrawal of the state from UNESCO they are in no danger, as the 1972 Convention, countries themselves should be responsible for world heritage sites on its territory.

The US state Department has notified UNESCO of withdrawal from its membership in October 2017, explaining that the arrears of membership contributions (more than $ 500 million), the need for reform of the organization and its “anti-Israel bias”.

This implies that in the draft resolutions of UNESCO for the shrines in the Old city of Jerusalem used only Muslim names, and the link with these places of the Jewish people is ignored.

After Washington’s withdrawal from the UNESCO declared Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the organization has become the theater of the absurd, and praised U.S. President Donald trump for “bold and moral decision” to leave her.

In December 2017, after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Netanyahu instructed to start the procedure of withdrawal from UNESCO.

The Russian foreign Ministry expressed regret in connection with the decisions of the US and Israel, but said that they would not to persuade anyone to stay in UNESCO. In Germany, criticized the position of Washington, but the organization itself was convicted of politicization.

In 1984 during the cold war, Ronald Reagan initiated the US withdrawal from UNESCO, considering the organization’s ideological ally of the USSR. The reasons were also cited excessive politicization and unreasonable spending budget of the organization. In 2002, George W. Bush, the United States rejoined UNESCO.

In 2011 under Barack Obama, the U.S. has reduced funding for UNESCO to $ 80 million per year, which was 22% of the total budget of the organization. It was a response to the inclusion of Palestine to UNESCO as full member.