President Donald Trump is once again withdrawing the United States from UNESCO, with his administration characterizing the global organization as “woke,”USA TODAY reports.
What is UNESCO’s role? And does Ohio have any of its World Heritage sites? Here’s the information you need.
What is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization? What functions does it perform?
The goal of UNESCO is “to promote the recognition, safeguarding, and maintenance of cultural and natural sites globally that are deemed to have exceptional significance for humankind.”
Located in Paris, UNESCO was established following World War II with the goal of fostering peace by encouraging global collaboration in education, science, and culture. A key objective is the World Heritage initiative, aimed at safeguarding historical and cultural landmarks.
The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in Ohio is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 2023, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworkswas designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, marking the first in Ohio and the 25th in the United States.
The location features the Octagon Earthworks in Newark, along with the Great Circle in Newark and Heath, as part of eight significant earthworks constructed by ancient Native American cultures in central and southern Ohio between approximately AD 1 and 400.the Dispatch reported previously.
The Octagon Earthworks features parts of a 2,000-year-old structure that is the biggest collection of geometric earthworks ever discovered.
Other locations include the Fort Ancient Earthworks in Warren County and five sites within the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ross County.
There are 1,248 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Listin 170 countries, such as the pyramids in Egypt, Notre-Dame Cathedral in France, and the Statue of Liberty in America.
What was the reason behind Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from UNESCO? Second-term president severs connections with the group
White House representative Anna Kelly stated that UNESCO, an organization representing the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, “backs progressive, polarizing cultural and social issues that are completely contrary to the practical policies that Americans supported in November.”
Trump removed the U.S. from the group during his initial term, but the decision was later undone by President Joe Biden. This action, set to take place by the end of 2026, is aimed at distancing the U.S. from global organizations that he has consistently criticized.
In a statement provided to USA TODAY, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay expressed that Trump’s choice to leave is “disappointing” and “goes against the core values of working together internationally.”
This piece first was published in The Columbus Dispatch:Trump withdraws the US from UNESCO, once more. Are there any World Heritage sites in Ohio? What you need to know
