Trump published a memo withdrawing USA’s participation and funding from 66 international and UN bodies on nature, culture and heritage, considered as contrary to the country’s interests. No comment so far by ICCROM and IFACCA, included in the list as ‘Hybrid Threats’. Europa Nostra issued regret statement.
By Eirini Polydorou'Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States', was the title of Trump’s presidential memorandum, published on the 7th of January.
ICCROM - International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property and IFACCA - International Federations of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies were among the 66 such bodies.
Europa Nostra, the European Voice of Civil Society committed to Cultural Heritage, issued a statement regretting the withdrawal and expressing solidarity with US colleagues. As Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra, said:
“Europa Nostra expresses deep regret at the White House’s decision to withdraw the United States from the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), as well as from other international bodies dedicated to culture, heritage, nature, and the environment — including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). [...]
The U.S., historically ICCROM’s largest funder, leaves behind a significant gap. [...]
Europa Nostra stands firmly with U.S. colleagues who remain committed to our shared mission. Together, we will continue to advance the environmental, social, educational, and inspirational benefits that cultural heritage brings to our common Terra Nostra.”
No response was received by representatives from ICCROM and IFACCA to The Art Newspaper’s inquiries about the US’s withdrawal.
As stated by Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State: these bodies were "redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation's sovereignty."
In July 2025, Trump had announced withdrawal the US from Unesco, as well as from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organisation among others.
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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
