The decision comes two years after the Biden administration rejoined following a controversial, five-year absence that began during President Donald Trump’s first term.

The Trump administration plans to pull out of the U.N. cultural agency, putting UNESCO back at the center of geopolitical rivalry.

The country previously left the agency for two brief stints—once from 1984 to 2003 and again from 2017 to 2023. The newly announced decision will take effect by the end of 2026