UNESCO file photo, Photo: VCG

Zafar-Ud-Din Mahmood, Special Assistant to Pakistan's Prime Minister, expressed deep disappointment on Wednesday over the United States' decision to again withdraw from UNESCO, calling the move "very disappointing and sad."

Speaking to the Global Times at the Inter-Civilizational Dialogue among SCO Countries in Tianjin on Wednesday, Mahmood reacted to the US State Department's Tuesday announcement that it had formally notified UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay of its withdrawal, effective December 31, 2026.

"It is a very sad development," Mahmood stated. He noted it was the third time the US had taken such action - having previously exited and rejoined - adding: "They came back, but now they have again made this kind of an announcement, which is, I could say, is 'very disappointing and sad.'"

There is no other reason they say that "we will only join those multinational organizations in which the American interest is protected."

Mahmood emphasized the need for the US to respect other peoples, saying, "You cannot say that everybody should listen to me and if you don't listen to me, I'm not with you. So this is something which I'm sure the whole world will not be happy about."

The US move marks its third withdrawal from UNESCO. It first left in 1984, rejoined in 2003, withdrew again in 2018, and rejoined in 2023 before the latest announcement.