U.S. Pulls Out of UNESCO, Cultural Agency That Included Bethlehem on List of World Heritage Sites

July 22, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

The U.S. has pulled out of UNESCO, the cultural agency that granted World Heritage status to Bethlehem last year.

The Washington Post reported the move earlier today. The federal government objected to UNESCO’s support of certain cultural and social causes.

In 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognized Bethlehem’s historic Moravian settlement as a World Heritage Site. Three other similar settlements in Europe are part of the same site.

Supports of the designation said gaining UNESCO status would promote tourism. was included with European

Pennsylvania has two other UNESCO sites: Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Stewart Township, about 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Whether today’s move will have any effect on Bethlehem’s status is not known, but after an earlier pullout, U.S. sites remained on the list.

Although the City of Bethlehem government talked a lot about gaining the status, little has happened locally since.

As noted, the U.S. has pulled out of UNESCO before. This departure won’t take effect until the end of 2026, the Post reported.

There are 1,248 UNESCO sites worldwide.

For more information about Bethlehem’s UNESCO status, see this link from the city website.