Press Statement of DPRK Permanent Mission in

UNESCO

Pyongyang, June 27 (KCNA) -- The DPRK permanent mission in UNESCO issued the
following press statement on June 27:
The issue of the U.S. reentry into UNESCO has recently drawn the attention from the
international community.
The issue has been raised not for the first time today.
As already known, the U.S. withdrew from UNESCO in 1984 nearly 40 years ago,
displeased with the organization's demand for the establishment of a new international
order such as arms reduction and elimination of the remnants of colonialism, and
rejoined the organization in 2003.
Later, when UNESCO accepted Palestine as its full-fledged member, despite the
opposition of the U.S., the U.S. suspended paying the membership fee in 2011. In 2018
when the Trump administration was pursuing "America first" policy, the U.S. withdrew
from the organization again, blaming the organization for adopting anti-Israel decisions
only.
It is by no means fortuitous that such whimsical behavior of the U.S. of going in and out
of an international organization just like a hotel room is regarded as "walking in park".
The U.S. has an inglorious background of having withdrawn not only from UNESCO but
also from WHO, UN Human Rights Council and other international organizations. And it
is notorious for having arbitrarily abrogated lots of bilateral and multilateral agreements
and international agreements.
This clearly proves that the U.S. is, indeed, an illegal and lawless country which is utterly
indifferent to the international laws, the outcome of the unanimous will of the
international community, and the "order based on rules" oft-repeated by the U.S. is
nothing but a veil to justify its self-interest and selfish desire.
What matters is the impudent attitude of the U.S. seeking to rejoin the organization in
disregard of elementary regulations and procedures, far from reflecting on its wrong
practices.
It is absurd that the U.S., boasting itself as the "world leader" and "economic giant",
entreated the organization for mercy in regard to its arrears without caring about
decency. Moreover, it is unsightly that it has an eye to the right to vote and a
membership of executive council when it finds itself in such miserable position.

The U.S. said that it would pay arrears within a given period. But nobody presupposes
that it will take 5 years or 10 years in such a situation that the U.S. is troubled with the
debt limit.
Moreover, in view of the U.S. political situation in which the foreign policy is reversed in a
moment whenever the regime is changed due to the factional confrontation
unprecedented in the world political circles, it is the unanimous opinion of the
international community that the U.S. might withdraw from the organization again any
time.
Clear is the sinister intention of the U.S. hastening the reentry into the organization while
demanding even "credit".
It is to take advantage of the international organization as a theatre for confrontation
between camps and a window for realizing the strategy for hegemony, not for
international cooperation and promotion in the fields of education, science and culture,
the natural mission of the organization.
In March, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken claimed that China has its considerable
influence over UNESCO and if the U.S. does not accede to UNESCO, it will lose a
chance to lead the activities of the organization. This shows what the real aim sought by
the U.S. is.
The U.S. should not make a mockery of UNESCO.
UNESCO is a prestigious international organization which regards it as its main mission
to implant the love of peace in the people's mind and promote the equal, intellectual and
cultural development of the world.
The international community aspiring after justice, truth, peace and civilization should
never remain a passive onlooker to the situation that the organization is at risk of turning
into a theatre of rowdyism full of inter-camp confrontation, inter-ism confrontation and
division due to the U.S. reentry.
The U.S., which treated the inviolable international organization as its private company,
should keenly repent of its wrongdoings and break with its roguish nature of resorting to
high-handed and arbitrary practices before joining the organization.
If the U.S. wants to return to UNESCO, it should have to pay off its political, economical
and moral debts before the organization. -0-