For over a decade, the U.S. has not provided funding to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), putting the agency’s ability to carry out its mandate at risk.
Ask Congress to Fund UNESCO
As an organization tasked with promoting education, intercultural dialogue, human rights, innovation and the sciences, the arts, and communication, failing to fund UNESCO goes against U.S. interests and core values and directly impacts the important work they do. Please ask your elected officials to restore funding for UNESCO.
I am writing today to ask you to restore funding for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its U.S. funding has been cut-off since 2011.
UNESCO’s mandate covers a vast range of programs and initiatives related to promoting education, intercultural dialogue, human rights, innovation and the sciences, the arts, and communication.
These programs include responding to the education-related disruptions of COVID-19, setting standards for the safety of local journalists and foreign correspondents who are often targeted in conflict areas, and protecting cultural heritage sites around the world, including over 20 such sites in the U.S. UNESCO has also taken a lead road on Holocaust education globally.
The U.S. has long supported many of these programs, as they promote U.S. interests and reflect many of our nation’s core values. By failing to put our full weight behind UNESCO, we put that work at risk and allow countries that don’t share our principles, like China, to fill our leadership vacuum. As it stands, China is now the agency’s largest contributor.
As one of my elected officials, I hope I can count on you the next time a vote comes up.