The United States announced today that it will withdraw from the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, accusing the body of anti-Israel bias. <br/><br/>US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Washington will establish an observer mission to replace its representation at the Paris-based agency.<br/><br/>UNESCO head Irina Bokova has regretted the US decision, and called it a loss to multilateralism.<br/><br/>While the US stopped funding UNESCO after the international body voted to include Palestine as a member in 2011, the State Department has maintained a UNESCO office at its Paris headquarters and sought to weigh in on policy behind the scenes.<br/><br/>The decision comes as the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is voting to choose a new director this week, intense balloting overshadowed by the agency's funding troubles and divisions over Palestinian membership.