Condemning the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and refraining the United States from rejoining.

Bill: 118-hres-581
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17]
Introduced: 2023-07-11
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2023-07-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-11
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution condemns the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for corruption, mismanagement, anti-United States bias, anti-Israel bias, and honoring human rights violators. It also expresses that UNESCO should not receive funding from U.S. taxpayers.</p>

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 581 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 organization, which is to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among nations through education, 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 Nations ; Whereas UNESCO has a long history of corruption and mismanagement; 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, President 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 Christians 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; 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 accounted 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

That the House of Representatives— (1) condemns the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) 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.