{"id":4196,"date":"2025-08-07T05:20:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T12:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/?p=4196"},"modified":"2025-08-07T05:20:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T12:20:31","slug":"unesco-and-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2025\/08\/unesco-and-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"UNESCO and the United States"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Washington Post<\/em>, Charles Djou, who was a Biden administration official and briefly held an Hawaiian congressional seat, says the US should not<\/a>, once again, remove itself from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but should instead remain in and seek positive reforms. Well, who could be against that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

I believe in UNESCO\u2019s founding vision: to unite humanity through education, culture and science. But to achieve that mission, UNESCO needs reform.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Yes, and\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

At the heart of the problem is a structural flaw shared by many international bodies: a disconnect between financial responsibility and decision-making power. UNESCO operates on the principle of sovereign equality \u2014 every member nation gets one vote, no matter how much they contribute. This idea of equal voice sounds fair in theory, but in practice it encourages gridlock and waste. Countries that contribute little or nothing often vote for politically fashionable projects, knowing they won\u2019t be the ones footing the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The United States has historically provided over 20 percent<\/a> of UNESCO\u2019s budget but enjoys the same voting power as countries that contributed virtually nothing. Like other major donors, the U.S. is left with an unappealing choice: tolerate dysfunction or walk away. We can do better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way forward would be to implement a \u201cdouble majority\u201d voting model. Under this approach, major decisions \u2014 budgets, resolutions and new initiatives \u2014 would require two thresholds: approval by a majority of member states and separate approval by a weighted majority based on financial contributions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

UNESCO\u2019s budget is not large, and the US has been contributing about $75 million per year, which in Washington does not even count as walking around money. When a country applies to have a tangible or intangible work of cultural significance \u201clisted\u201d, as being a work worthy of protection, the nation making the request is then responsible for the protection of the work or cultural practice; UNESCO might help some poorer countries with technical assistance, but not much more. So what \u201cfree riding\u201d might be happening is small potatoes, and for the sums involved I don\u2019t much see the point of trying to get more out of very poor countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is a bigger issue here. Djou goes on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

UNESCO\u2019s mission remains vital. In an age of rising authoritarianism, cultural destruction, disinformation, and global technological upheaval, we need institutions that promote shared values, protect historical memory and invest in education and science across borders. UNESCO can be part of that effort \u2014 if it evolves.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And the way to achieve these goals is \u2026 to give the United States <\/em>more say? Because to whom would you turn in an age of rising authoritarianism, cultural destruction, disinformation, and global technological upheaval but the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, CEO? To whom would you turn \u201cto unite humanity through education, culture, and science\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US is the richest country in world history, with a lot of \u201chard power\u201d. But its \u201csoft power\u201d has dwindled to nothing – we now, and for the foreseeable future, have no powers of moral or cultural persuasion as a state, even should a very pleasant Democrat win the next presidential election. We cannot be trusted, we reverse policies according to whether Trump had a good nights sleep the night before, we gratuitously insult the governments and people of other nations who thought they were allies, and we bully through hard power – economic and the threat of our military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Djou, who I get is trying to be positive and constructive here, relies on: well, we pay more, so we should have more say, without indicating in what ways other than money<\/em> the US is deserving of a greater say than Jamaica or Peru or Botswana on the protection of cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have, through our own electoral choices, made ourselves universally disliked, a country ruled by vulgar mobsters. Were I a UNESCO representative for another country, I\u2019m not sure why I wouldn\u2019t just tell the US to take its money and go home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companion reading today is from Paul Musgrave<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cross posted at https:\/\/michaelrushton.substack.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us… In the Washington Post, Charles Djou, who was a Biden administration official and briefly held an Hawaiian congressional seat, says the US should not, once again, remove itself from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but should instead remain in and seek positive reforms. Well, who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4196","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-issues","8":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-1.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3dIW5-15G","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1314,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/05\/l3cs-in-the-arts\/","url_meta":{"origin":4196,"position":0},"title":"L3C’s in the arts (updated with citation info)","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"May 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a new working paper up on L3C's in the arts, which you can download for free here. If you were there, it's the paper I presented at Social Theory, Politics and the Arts in Seattle last October, cleaned up and revised. The abstract: Traditionally, the choice of organizational\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"no future?","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/mule.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2103,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2016\/09\/diversity-in-the-arts-where-are-we-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":4196,"position":1},"title":"Diversity in the Arts: Where are we now?","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"September 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The people at Createquity have put together a great piece on different ways of thinking about what has surely become the hot discussion topic in the art world: diversity. 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Go\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"now we're talking","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/BSO.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/BSO.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/BSO.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/BSO.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4647,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2026\/02\/representation-and-portrayal-at-the-bbc\/","url_meta":{"origin":4196,"position":2},"title":"Representation and portrayal at the BBC","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"February 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"At home we watch a lot of BBC-produced television. Some of it is very good, some of it is very silly, but we are entertained enough. Anyone who has seen older and newer episodes of shows will pick up on the fact that productions at the BBC have made an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1129,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/03\/the-future-of-nonprofits\/","url_meta":{"origin":4196,"position":3},"title":"The future of nonprofits?","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"March 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Commercial or nonprofit? 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Hirschman. I have not read the biography, but I do highly recommend Gladwell's essay. One of Hirschman's most famous works is Exit, Voice, and Loyalty.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "issues"","block_context":{"text":"issues","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/category\/issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"voice","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/football-prices-210x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1074,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/worth\/2014\/02\/droit-de-suite\/","url_meta":{"origin":4196,"position":5},"title":"Droit de suite","author":"Michael Rushton","date":"February 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Legislation is proposed to bring droit de suite - a rule in which some artists receive a share of proceeds from some resales of their art - to the United States. The New York Times reports here, and blog neighbour Lee Rosenbaum analyses the proposal here. 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