US Withdraws from UNESCO

The US withdrew from the UN's cultural and educational agency Thursday during a contested race for the director general position, a source said.


The US withdrawal from the 58-member UNESCO Executive Board aimed to save money and protest what it sees as the agency’s anti-Israel stance, American magazine Foreign Policy reported earlier Thursday.

The withdrawal occurred before the fourth round of voting for the UNESCO director general position, in which Lebanese national Vera El-Khourey Lacoeuilhe is a candidate.

The Qatari candidate Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari and France’s Audrey Azoulay are neck and neck following the third round of voting, with Egypt’s Moushira Khattab following in third place.

Paris-based UNESCO, which began work in 1946, is known for designating World Heritage sites such as the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria and the Grand Canyon National Park.
 (Tasnim)
 12/10/17