The United States intends to keep its seat at UNESCO and continue to vote as an elected member of the executive board until 2015, dpa reported.
In a statement issued Friday, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the loss of a vote in the general conference was not the same as the US losing its membership.
"The United States intends to continue its engagement with UNESCO in every possible way - we can attend meetings and participate in debate," she said.
President Obama is seeking authority from Congress to continue to pay its dues to UNESCO despite the fact that Palestinians have been admitted to the UN organization as a member state, Psaki said.