IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 581 
Condemning the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural 
Organization (UNESCO) and refraining the United States from rejoining. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 11, 2023 
Mr. STEUBE submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Condemning the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and refraining the 
United States from rejoining. 
Whereas, at the end of World War II in 1945, 37 countries 
founded the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization (UNESCO); 
Whereas UNESCO did not uphold the purpose of the organi-
zation, which is ‘‘to contribute to peace and security by 
promoting collaboration among nations through edu-
cation, science and culture in order to further universal 
respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human 
rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for 
the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, 
language or religion, by the Charter of the United Na-
tions’’; 
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•HRES 581 IH 
Whereas UNESCO has a long history of corruption and mis-
management; 
Whereas audits show ‘‘about 40 percent of the organization’s 
appointments and promotions failed to meet UNESCO’s 
own criteria for fair competition’’, and ‘‘despite a two- 
yearly budget of $544 million, it cannot run its program 
effectively’’; 
Whereas UNESCO is highly politicized and has held an anti- 
United States bias; 
Whereas citing hostility toward the basic institutions of a free 
society, especially a free market and a free press, Presi-
dent Ronald Reagan pulled the United States out of 
UNESCO in 1984, and his decision received bipartisan 
support, including nods from the New York Times, the 
Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal; 
Whereas, in 2002, the United States rejoined UNESCO 
under President George W. Bush; 
Whereas, in 2011, the Obama administration cut funding to 
the organization after UNESCO admitted the Palestine 
Authority as a full member; 
Whereas UNESCO has long held an anti-Israel bias and 
passed 6 resolutions condemning Israel in 2013; 
Whereas, in 2016, the Palestine delegation sponsored a 
UNESCO resolution referring to the Temple Mount and 
Western Wall only by their Muslim names and negating 
Jerusalem’s undeniable historical connection with Chris-
tians and Jews; 
Whereas, in 2017, UNESCO designated the ancient city of 
Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a Palestinian 
World Heritage site, denying Judaism’s historical tie; 
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•HRES 581 IH 
Whereas UNESCO embraces human rights violators; 
Whereas, in 2013, UNESCO honored Che Guevara, the chief 
executioner of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, both of whom 
committed crimes against humanity, by including ‘‘The 
Life and Works of Ernesto Che Guevara’’ to its ‘‘Memory 
of the World Register’’; 
Whereas UNESCO remained silent on honoring victims of 
Communism oppression; 
Whereas, in 2016, UNESCO did not include the image of the 
‘‘Tank Man’’ when several organizations nominated the 
image to be inscribed into UNESCO’s ‘‘Memory of the 
World Register’’; 
Whereas UNESCO has a close relationship with the Chinese 
Government and designated a high number of ‘‘world 
heritage sites’’ despite China’s poor human rights and 
cultural preservation records; 
Whereas, in 2017, the Trump administration filed a notice to 
withdraw the United States from UNESCO; 
Whereas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised 
the United States decision and instructed his foreign 
ministry for Israel’s withdrawal as well; 
Whereas officials estimate that the United States, which ac-
counted for around 22 percent of the total budget, has 
accrued $600,000,000 in unpaid dues; and 
Whereas the Biden administration plans to rejoin UNESCO 
and pay back dues: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns the United Nations Educational, 
Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) 
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•HRES 581 IH 
long history of corruption, mismanagement, anti- 
United States bias, anti-Israel bias, and honoring 
human rights violators; and 
(2) recognizes that the United States was right 
to withdraw from UNESCO, and the organization 
should not receive funding from the United States 
taxpayers. 
Æ 
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