ARC Raises Alarm Over U.S. Retreat From International Cultural Bodies

ARC Expresses Concern Over U.S. Withdrawal from International Bodies Safeguarding Artistic Freedom and Cultural Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

8 January 2026

(NEW YORK) – ARC – Artists at Risk Connection expresses deep concern over the decision by the United States government, announced in a presidential memorandum issued on Wednesday, 7 January, to withdraw from 66 international and United Nations-affiliated organizations, described as “contrary to the interests of the United States.” This decision includes ARC’s key partner, the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), and other bodies whose mandates are central to the protection of artistic freedom and cultural rights worldwide. Together, these institutions form part of the critical international infrastructure that enables artists and cultural workers to create freely and safely, particularly in contexts of repression, conflict, and forced displacement.

“At a moment when artists around the world are facing escalating censorship, digital surveillance, forced displacement, and gender-based violence, international cooperation is essential,” said Julie Trébault, Executive Director of ARC – Artists at Risk Connection. “U.S. disengagement from institutions that uphold freedom of expression, artistic freedom, cultural rights, and the rule of law weakens the global protective frameworks on which artists and cultural workers depend. For artists in immediate danger, those in exile, women artists, and others facing censorship, surveillance, or violence, the erosion of multilateral safeguards has tangible and immediate consequences. The vacuum this withdrawal creates also opens space for authoritarian actors to further repress artists and cultural workers globally.”

These organizations supporting arts and cultural governance, digital freedom, gender equality, and democratic participation—including among others, the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the Freedom Online Coalition, the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF), and the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)—play a critical role in upholding the conditions that allow artists and cultural workers to create freely and safely. Additional relevant organizations are listed below.

The move follows the U.S. administration’s withdrawal from UNESCO, the U.N. Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Paris Climate Agreement, continuing an alarming pattern of increasing U.S. isolationism and withdrawal from international peace, health, and cultural infrastructure.

Organizations with Direct Relevance to Artist Freedom, Cultural Rights, and Artist Protection

• International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA)
  Supports arts policy frameworks and public cultural institutions that safeguard freedom of creation and institutional autonomy.
• International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)
  Protects cultural heritage and cultural professionals in crisis and post-conflict settings.
• Freedom Online Coalition
  Addresses digital censorship, surveillance, and online repression affecting artists and cultural workers.
• UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF)
  Supports civil society, freedom of expression, and democratic participation.
• UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
  Addresses the disproportionate targeting of women artists, including gender-based violence and exclusion in exile.
• UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
  Promotes intercultural dialogue and counters polarization and extremism through culture and the arts.
• International Development Law Organization (IDLO)
  Supports rule-of-law and access-to-justice frameworks critical to defending persecuted artists.

About ARC

ARC – Artists at Risk Connection is an international organization committed to promoting and advancing the right to artistic freedom worldwide. Founded in 2017, ARC works to protect artists and cultural workers who are at risk because of their creative expression, often connected to their identities or roles within their communities. By providing vital resources and support, ARC helps artists at risk overcome challenges like persecution, censorship, threats, and violence from both state and non-state actors—whether for their artistic expression or the broader impact they have on cultural, social, and political issues.

For press inquiries, please contact:

Julie Trébault
Executive Director
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)
+1 646.860.5446