US First Lady Jill Biden attended a flag-raising ceremony at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) headquarters in Paris on Tuesday, marking the official re-entry of the United States into the UN agency after a five-year hiatus. The decision to rejoin Unesco was made under the leadership of President Joe Biden, who emphasized the importance of American leadership in preserving cultural heritage and empowering education and science across the globe.
In her remarks, Mrs. Biden highlighted the significance of this move, stating, “I was honoured to join you today as we raise the flag of the United States, the symbol of our commitment to global collaboration and peace.” She emphasized that this decision was an example of President Biden’s pledge to “restore our leadership on the world stage.” Mrs. Biden acknowledged that as a teacher, she was a little biased, but expressed pride in the US rejoining Unesco.
Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay also addressed the gathering, stating, “We are putting the Star Spangled Banner back where it belongs. In the time of divisions, rifts, and existential threats, we reaffirm our union here today. Together we will be stronger.” Azoulay emphasized the importance of multilateralism and “universality” in a speech that mentioned the war in Ukraine.
Jill Biden (Via Jill Biden/Twitter)
The US decision to rejoin Unesco was motivated by concerns over China’s growing influence in the organization, particularly in the wake of the US withdrawal in 2017. The US had cited an alleged anti-Israel bias within Unesco, which followed a 2011 move by the organization to include Palestine as a member state. Since then, the US has had to pay arrears, with a total debt of $619 million. In preparation for its return, the Biden administration requested $150 million for the 2024 budget, with plans for similar requests in the ensuing years to pay off the debt.
This move marks the second time the US has returned to Unesco, after previously leaving the organization in 1984 under the Reagan administration and later rejoining in 2003 under George W Bush’s presidency. The US is now the 194th member of Unesco and will play a significant role in the organization’s initiatives, contributing 22 per cent of the agency’s overall funding before its departure.
