The United States has informed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, that it will withdraw from the agency.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement on Tuesday that "continued involvement in UNESCO is not in the national interest of the United States."

She said that "UNESCO works to advance divisive social and cultural causes and maintains an outsized focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals." She added its agenda is "at odds with our America First foreign policy."

The statement also questions UNESCO's decision to admit Palestine as a "member state." It said the decision is "contrary to US policy, and contributed to the proliferation of anti-Israel rhetoric within the organization."

It said US withdrawal will take effect on December 31, 2026.

President Donald Trump also pulled out of UNESCO during his first administration in 2018. The US returned to the agency in 2023 under President Joe Biden.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay released a statement on Tuesday, expressing deep regrets over the US announcement.

Azoulay said US claims "contradict the reality of UNESCO's efforts, particularly in the field of Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism."

But she also said this announcement was "anticipated, and UNESCO has prepared for it." She noted the agency has "undertaken major structural reforms" and diversified funding sources.