US exit from UNESCO sparks global calls to defend multilateralism

The United States has announced its withdrawal from UNESCO, the United Nations agency responsible for education, science and culture, a move that has reverberated across the international community and prompted urgent calls for the defence of multilateralism.

Governments and international observers around the world have responded by urging countries to stand firm behind multilateral institutions at a time when global challenges demand coordinated action rather than retreat.

The decision has reignited debate about the role of international bodies in addressing shared problems, with many arguing that unilateral disengagement weakens the collective frameworks on which global stability depends.