Guest column: It’s time to rejoin UNESCO

Barbara Eckstein and John Kenyon
·3 min read
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At a time when the world would benefit from more collaboration and communication, the U.S. is poised to rejoin an organization that fosters both on a global scale. With the vote on June 30 by members of UNESCO to authorize U.S. re-entry to this institution, the last step is for Congress to authorize funds to make it happen.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, a UN agency with 194 members, was founded in 1945. The U.S., along with the United Kingdom, led in the formation of UNESCO to promote education, intercultural dialogue, human rights, the arts and sciences, and communication. For decades the U.S. supported these programs because they align with U.S. values and advance U.S national interests.

Many in Iowa City may know UNESCO because we have been a UNESCO-designated City of Literature since 2008, or because of programs in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals run by the local chapter of the United Nations Association, such as the Night of 1,000 Dinners.

But UNESCO is much more, a vast international organization that contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information. It administers the World Heritage Site list, promotes the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, coordinates the tsunami early warning system, and advocates for the safety of journalists, among many other projects and programs.

In recent years, those efforts have been compromised. The U.S. stopped paying dues to UNESCO in 2011, a move required by U.S. law when UNESCO admitted Palestine as a member state. The Trump administration withdrew the U.S. from UNESCO entirely in 2017. Since that time, the organization’s efforts to promote well-being and peace around the world have suffered.  The influence of China, now the largest financial contributor to UNESCO, has increased while ours has waned.

In coming months, UNESCO will be addressing issues of crucial importance to our country, most notably setting international standards for artificial intelligence, monitoring technology research, and protecting media freedom.  By rejoining UNESCO, the U.S. will have a seat at the table in efforts to address global issues that impact all of us.

The proposed re-entry plan calls for the U.S. to pay its 2023 dues of $75 million plus an additional $10 million for Holocaust education, preservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage, journalists’ safety, and STEM education in Africa. To put these figures into perspective, the FY2024 budget for the Iowa City Community School District is $319 million—more than four times our annual dues in UNESCO.

The U.S. would also pay $619 million in back dues over the next few years, restoring the more than 20% of UNESCO’s annual budget that was cut when the country stopped payments. These payments will make the U.S. a member in good standing and restore our nation’s influence and credibility.

Barbara Eckstein
Barbara Eckstein

We call on the Iowa congressional delegation to support approval of these funds, restoring our country’s voice in discussions that impact crucial U.S. interests and affect Iowans’ everyday lives. It is vital for a country with the talent and resources of the United States to be a part of the work to meet new and existing challenges across the globe.

Barbara Eckstein is president of the Johnson County Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA.  John Kenyon is Executive Director of Iowa City: UNESCO City of Literature.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Opinion: It’s time to rejoin UNESCO