2019 · GS Paper 2 · Q10 · 10 marks
Too little cash, too much politics, leaves UNESCO fighting for life.' Discuss the statement in the light of US' withdrawal and its accusation of the cultural body as being 'anti-Israel bias'.
In short
UNESCO is underfunded and politicised: the US cut about 22 percent of its budget after Palestine joined in 2011 and left in 2018 alleging anti-Israel bias. Yet it survived, won the US back in 2023, and remains indispensable for heritage, education and AI ethics.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 286 words
UNESCO, founded in 1945 to build "the defences of peace" in the minds of men, lost the United States and Israel at the end of 2018 over alleged anti-Israel bias, and faces a third US exit in December 2026.
Too Little Cash: UNESCO's Funding Fragility
UNESCO and the US → 1984 :: US exits → 2003 :: US rejoins → 2011 :: Palestine admitted → 2018 :: US, Israel exit → 2023 :: US returns → 2026 :: Third exit due
1. Loss of the largest payer: US laws triggered by Palestine's 2011 admission cut about 22 percent of the regular budget, and the US lost its vote in 2013. 2. Programme cuts: Frozen posts and trimmed education and science programmes pushed UNESCO toward earmarked donor money that bends priorities toward funders. 3. Funding as leverage: Japan withheld 2016 dues over the Nanjing Massacre documents, showing how big payers can hold the budget hostage.
The anti-Israel charge
2016 resolutions naming Jerusalem's holy sites only as Haram al-Sharif and the 2017 listing of Hebron as a Palestinian site triggered the exits.
Bloc voting
Heritage and board decisions follow regional blocs, echoing the MacBride Report quarrel behind the 1984 exit.
Resilience nonetheless
UNESCO survived both exits, won the US back in 2023, and still runs work no one else does, from the World Heritage list, where India has 45 sites, to the 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2019 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.