Recently the United States has mentioned that it is going to re-join the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
USA’s journey in UNESCO:
Withdrawn from UNESCO: In 2017, the Trump administration withdrew from the organisation after the Obama administration ceased funding, in 2011.
Trumpist ideology: The decision was followed from the Trumpist world view that the U.S. was being short-changed by major polluters such as China and India.
Biden’s view: Following political change, President Joseph Biden has now brought the U.S. back into the fold of funding WHO as well as re-joining the climate treaty.
Strategic interests:
To oppose the monopoly of China: The reason for the U.S’.s return is ostensibly ‘China’, where US’s absence had helped China gain “more influence” in setting the rules around artificial intelligence and the ensuing technological shifts.
In the realm of artificial intelligence (AI): China has been rapidly advancing with a larger population and a powerful surveillance state, generating vast amounts of data to fuel its machine learning systems.
Patents and Interests: China, along with a rising repertoire of patents and research publications, has the advantages of a much larger population and a more powerful surveillance state.
Measures to be taken:
Stricter policies: The US owes a significant amount of dues to UNESCO, but it is suggested that the organization should become stricter regarding countries exiting and entering for frivolous reasons.
Develop research potential: It is crucial for UNESCO to develop policies and research that address the challenges of a hyper-connected world.
Cooperation and sustainability: The global organisation must focus on the fact of cooperation and peace rather than a rivalry platform.