The United States will pull itself out of the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) for the second time, the State Department announced today.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and reflects U.S. concerns with mounting arrears at Unesco, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at Unesco," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. The withdrawal will occur at the end of next year, at which point the U.S. plans to take on permanent observer status, joining the Holy See as the only other member nation with that status….

Unesco has become most well known for maintaining a list of more than 1,000 world heritage sites, locations worldwide that the agency deems worthy of protection for historical, cultural or scientific purposes. Unesco's designations are usually welcomed and uncontroversial, but they can occasionally become politically charged, notes Eli Rosenberg of the Washington Post.