On May 16, 2024, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Courtney O’Donnell as U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO. This marks another significant step for the U.S. as it returns to the agency after a five-year absence. While questions about full funding and payments of arrears to UNESCO remain outstanding, praise for rejoining the world’s largest protector of global heritage resounds.
In a letter to Members of Congress prior to the vote on O’Donnell’s Ambassadorship, BWC president Peter Yeo joined representatives of UNA-USA, Americans for the Arts, the U.S. National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the National Security Council, RISE Institute and the World Heritage, in expressing their enthusiasm. The World Jewish Congress also echoed endorsement, saying, “Courtney O’Donnell’s strong commitment to combating antisemitism and her active role in Holocaust remembrance initiatives make her an outstanding choice for this role. UNESCO is the only UN agency specifically charged with promoting Holocaust education efforts… this work has never been more urgent.”
The May 7 letter to Majority Leader Schumer and signed by Yeo goes on to say, “UNESCO does vital work on a wide array of issues important to U.S. national interests and values. This includes everything from supporting literacy efforts and access to quality primary education in the developing world, to supporting the preservation of World Heritage sites around the world, including in the United States. UNESCO also works to promote international Holocaust education by encouraging countries to incorporate teaching about the Holocaust into their national curricula, running training seminars and providing educational materials to educators, and working to combat Holocaust denial. UNESCO has also increasingly become an important forum for discussing the ethical development and use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and neurotechnology.”
“UNESCO does vital work on a wide array of issues important to U.S. national interests and values. This includes everything from supporting literacy efforts and access to quality primary education in the developing world, to supporting the preservation of World Heritage sites around the world, including in the United States.”
In her new role as Ambassador to UNESCO, Courtney O’Donnell will shepherd key initiatives at UNESCO that promote the 25 World Heritage sites in the U.S. and the hundreds worldwide. Prior to her appointment, O’Donnell served as a senior Advisor in the Office of the Vice President and as Chief of Staff for Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, where she advanced gender equality and efforts to fight anti-Semitism.
Read more about UNESCO’s work in the U.S., including its surprising and historic role in the Civil Rights movement.
