Jill Biden Visits Paris to Mark US Return to UNESCO

July 25th, 11:26 AM EDT

US First Lady Jill Biden speaks during a flag raising ceremony for the return of the United States to UNESCO after an over half decade absence at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, on July 25, 2023.

Photo by BERTRAND GUAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

PARIS (NEWSnet/AP) — U.S. first lady Jill Biden attended a flag-raising ceremony at UNESCO in Paris on Tuesday, marking Washington's official reentry into the U.N. agency after a controversial five-year hiatus.

The Stars and Stripes was hoisted up outside UNESCO's headquarters with the Eiffel Tower on the skyline to rousing applause and a rendition of the national anthem. Before the flag-raising, Biden made remarks about the importance of American leadership in preserving cultural heritage and empowering education and science across the globe.

The United States had announced its intention to rejoin UNESCO in June, and the organization’s 193 member states earlier this month voted to approve the U.S. reentry. Tuesday’s ceremony, which also featured a speech by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, formally signified the U.S. becoming the 194th member — and flag proprietor — at the agency.

The U.S. decision to return to Paris-based UNESCO was based mainly on concerns that China has filled a leadership gap since Washington withdrew during the Trump administration.