United States Mission to the United Nations
Office of Press and Public Diplomacy
For Immediate Release
June 30, 2023
Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on UNESCO Accepting U.S. Membership Proposal
Today, I am encouraged that the UNESCO membership accepted the proposal which will allow the United States to take the next steps toward rejoining the organization with full membership privileges. We thank our partners for their support for welcoming us back into the organization.
If we are not engaged in international institutions, we leave a void and we lose an opportunity to advance American values and interests on the global stage. Wherever and whenever new rules are being debated, Americans need to be at the table.
By returning to UNESCO, the United States is taking an important step in restoring our leadership on critical issues such as the preservation of cultural heritage, the evolution of artificial intelligence, the protection of journalists, and Holocaust education. Now more than ever, we need to work together with other countries to take on the greatest challenges of our time.
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