Paris, 30 July 2025. The Permanent Delegation of Cuba to UNESCO participated today in the briefing convened by the Director-General of the Organization, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, to discuss the implications arising from the decision of the Government of the United States to once again withdraw from UNESCO.
During the meeting, the Director-General explained that the U.S. Government officially communicated its decision on 22 July 2025, through a formal notification addressed to UNESCO, stating that its “continued participation in the Organization is not in the national interest of the United States.” Among the reasons put forward, the U.S. Government questioned the Organization’s multilateral approach and its role in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, while reiterating its disagreement with the admission of the State of Palestine as a Member State in 2011.
Ms. Azoulay expressed her deep regret over this decision, emphasizing that it runs counter to the principles of multilateralism and could potentially affect numerous U.S. partners, including universities hosting UNESCO Chairs, Creative Cities, and candidate sites for the World Heritage List. Nevertheless, she assured that the Organization has been preparing for this scenario through a process of structural reforms, diversification of funding sources, and a steady increase in voluntary contributions since 2018, which have helped to reduce reliance on U.S. funding—now accounting for approximately 8% of UNESCO’s total budget.
The Cuban Delegation thanked the Director-General for the transparency of the information provided and acknowledged the efforts made by the Secretariat to strengthen UNESCO’s financial sustainability and ensure the continuity of its essential programmes. In its statement, Cuba nevertheless recalled that the debt accumulated by the United States with the Organization exceeds 600 million U.S. dollars, and that its assessed contribution traditionally represented 22% of UNESCO’s regular budget.
The Delegation underscored the importance of working jointly with the Secretariat to define exceptional budgetary measures and design an expenditure plan adapted to the constrained financial context, so as to minimize the impact on the Organization’s programmatic implementation in line with its mandate—particularly regarding global priorities and the needs of developing countries.
The Cuban Delegation reiterated Cuba’s commitment to multilateralism, international cooperation, and the founding values of UNESCO, as well as its support for the Director-General in steering this process.