Melania Trump will chair a UN Security Council meeting Monday, the first sitting first lady to do so, focusing on children and education in conflict zones as the US assumes the council presidency.
White House Announces Historic UN Session Led by First Lady (Image: X)
First Lady Melania Trump will preside over a United Nations Security Council session on March 2, marking the first time a sitting US first lady has led the 15-member body. The White House announced the move as the US takes its rotating monthly presidency, with Trump focusing on children, technology, and education in conflict zones.
Melania Trump, as First Lady, will spotlight education's role in fostering tolerance and global peace. The White House stated: “Mrs Trump’s leadership will mark the first time a sitting US first lady presides over the security council.” No prior first lady, including Eleanor Roosevelt who helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, chaired while in office.
Titled "Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict," the New York meeting kicks off the US presidency. It gathers US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, fellow council representatives, and international participants. Waltz posted: “We are thrilled to have @Flotus gavel in the US Presidency of the Security Council.”
Trump has championed returning Ukrainian children taken by Russia since its 2022 invasion. In October, she announced some seized children reunited with families during her husband's second term. The session aligns with her ongoing efforts tying education and technology to peace in conflict areas.
Typically, a nation's UN ambassador or senior cabinet official leads. Trump's role breaks precedent amid her husband's UN critiques. Trump has called the body "ineffective," withdrawn from agencies like WHO and UNFCCC, and cut Palestinian refugee funding as "irredeemably flawed."
Last week, President Trump launched his "board of peace" as an alternative for settling disputes, raising global concerns it might supplant the UN. The initiative follows US pulls from climate and health pacts, heightening friction as Melania takes the council gavel.
A: March 2, coinciding with US rotating presidency start.
A: Children, technology, and education in conflict.
A: White House, noting no sitting first lady has presided before.
A: Reuniting children seized by Russia since 2022 invasion.
A: “Thrilled to have @Flotus gavel in the US Presidency.”
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
