Trump withdraws United States from critical U.N. culture agency

[babylonsister]

Trump withdraws United States from critical U.N. culture agency
The president accused UNESCO of an "anti-Israel bias", but reports indicate cost may be a motivating factor.
E.A. Crunden
Oct 12, 2017, 3:15 pm


State Department officials announced this week that the United States will withdraw from UNESCO, the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. President Donald Trump says that the international body displays bias against Israel.

In an announcement Thursday morning, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the United States would exit UNESCO in December. Rather than serving as a member, the United States will “seek to establish a permanent observer mission” instead.

“This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects U.S. concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO,” Nauert’s statement read.

snip//

“Universality is critical to Unesco’s mission to strengthen international peace and security in the face of hatred and violence, to defend human rights and dignity,” Bokova wrote. In an interview with The New York Times, she added that she “thought the decision was coming” but regretted its timing, as UNESCO is in the midst of electing someone to take her place.

“It’s very weird that it’s today,” she told the Times. “It’s very, very regrettable.”

UNESCO is well-known for its efforts to protect world heritage sites. But the agency has also worked on a number of other critical endeavors, including combating anti-Semitism, funding literacy efforts, and promoting both human rights and intercultural understanding.

more...

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-unesco-idk-fb30debab474/

[democratisphere]

1. Another day of destruction from the oval office. It will take decades

to repair the ongoing damage from this WH. Things for the greater good of humanity are replaced with things for the greater good of only the wealthiest. Sick creatures.

[Achilleaze]

2. republican plan for a new society advancing in leaps and bounds

[bdamomma]

3. this is our domestic terrorist

sitting in the WH. He is unraveling everything. He really needs to go.

[alarimer]

4. It has the word "science" in it.

So of course he doesn't believe in it.