CJI Statement on the U.S. Decision to Withdraw from UNESCO

Robert Singer, Chairman, Center for Jewish Impact:

Having worked for years alongside Director-General Audrey Azoulay and directly contributed to embedding Holocaust remembrance and the fight against antisemitism in UNESCO’s agenda, I am concerned by the U.S. decision to withdraw from the organization.

Yes, UNESCO was for too long politicized and misused as a platform for unfair attacks against Israel. But in recent years, under Azoulay’s determined leadership, UNESCO has begun to repair that damage. The inclusion of a dedicated Holocaust remembrance program—something I personally helped advance—was a historic milestone. Consensus-building on sensitive Israel-related resolutions and global initiatives to counter hate and denial has demonstrated that change is possible.

That progress is fragile. It is far from complete. But turning away now, just as the groundwork is being laid for meaningful reform, risks undoing what we have fought so hard to achieve.

I have seen firsthand how engagement and principled diplomacy can transform even the most politicized spaces. The United States’ voice and influence are essential to ensuring that UNESCO continues this path and does not revert to its old ways.

My hope is that the United States will remain fully engaged through the end of 2026, using its seat to press for continued reform and to strengthen UNESCO’s critical mandate to combat antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and online hate. At the same time, member states must reject the exploitation of UNESCO for political agendas and instead fulfill its promise as a force for education, culture, and memory.

We cannot afford to abandon the only UN body explicitly tasked with preserving the memory of the Holocaust and teaching the lessons of history. Those of us who worked to build that commitment at UNESCO in the last few years know how hard it was to achieve—and how easy it would be to lose.

Mr. Singer and Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Oct 2024.