Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) issued the following statement on the U.S. decision to withdraw from UNESCO:

“This move is unfortunate but appropriate given UNESCO’s mismanagement and disturbing anti-Israel bias. That said, the United States must remain a leader in preserving cultural heritage sites and countering those – like ISIS – who destroy and traffic priceless antiquities. The Foreign Affairs Committee will continue to be engaged in this important fight.”

NOTE: Chairman Royce is co-author of the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act (H.R. 1493) enacted May 9, 2016.

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