July 25 (UPI) -- First lady Jill Biden praised the work of UNESCO in Paris on Tuesday in a speech to the organization that the United States left during the Trump administration.
She said President Joe Biden, made the decision to rejoin UNESCO -- the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -- in recognition of the need for the United States to partner with global allies "to create a better world."
"When my husband, President Biden, took office 2 1/2 years ago, he made a promise to the American people: That he would rebuild the systems that were broken and fortify our institutions; that he would work to bring divided communities back together; that he would put us on a path to a better, brighter future, while restoring our leadership on the world stage," she said. "And he did."
The United States cut its contributions to UNESCO in 2011, while Joe Biden was serving as vice president, to protest its decision to grant full membership to Palestine. In 2017, then-President Donald Trump left the organization completely. Congress reauthorized funding for the organization last year, leading to the United States' re-entry.
The first lady said UNESCO can play a factor in spreading the importance of education, which she said has the power to help people overcome the challenges facing the world.
"That's why we're so proud to rejoin UNESCO," she said. "Because, in my opinion -- and sure, as a teacher, I'm a little biased -- education is one of our greatest shared tools in shaping our future for those who will come after us.
"Education is a powerful key to that future," Jill Biden added. "It changes us -- so we can go on to change our world together. Everyone deserves that opportunity. It was in that spirit that UNESCO was created."
She also recognized UNESCO's effort to preserve art, heritage and science around the world.
"The new ideas that pass from person to person like a flame, growing brighter without diminishing its source," Jill Biden said. "Together, let's empower the next generation of thinkers and dreamers and doers, helping them unleash their possibility.
"The challenges of our times, from authoritarianism to climate change, create an uncertain future. But what is certain is the possibility still inside of us to innovate, to cooperate, to discover new solutions."
