To stay or leave? Since February 4, UNESCO has been waiting for the decision of President Donald Trump, who has given 90 days to recondition the presence of the United States in the UN organization that works in the fields of culture, science and education. Since he returned to power, the American leader signed a dramatic withdrawal of the UN Human Rights Council and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
For Unesco, accused of “anti -American bias” by Trump Will Scharf advisor, the suspense, which will end on May 5, is proportional to bets: as the main taxpayer of the organization, the United States allocates $ 95 million annually.
From his spacious office in the place of Paris, Fontenay, with a view without obstacles of the Dôme des Invalids, the Eiffel Tower and the 194 Flags of UNESCO members who stir in the wind, the general director Azoulay is still calm. In 2017, the United States, whose contribution represented 20% of the organization’s budget, criticized the door, quickly followed by Israel, to sanction Palestine’s admission as a member state.
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