Melania Trump became the first spouse of a sitting world leader to chair a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday, urging member states to safeguard children’s access to education. Her appearance came just days after Iranian state media reported that an airstrike killed at least 165 people at a girls’ school in southern Iran.
The meeting, titled “Children, Technology and Education in Conflict,” had been scheduled before the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Saturday.
Seated at the Security Council table in New York, Trump was welcomed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. She greeted each of the 15 member state representatives and posed for a group photo before opening the session.
“The United States stands with all children across the world,” Trump said in her opening remarks. “I hope that soon peace will be yours.”
Education as a Tool for Peace
In her speech, the First Lady argued that education is essential to preventing conflict.
“A nation that holds learning sacred protects its books, its language, its science and its mathematics,” she told council members. “It protects its future.”
She also emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence, describing it as the “new great equalizer,” and urged the council to “connect everyone to knowledge through AI, including those in the most geographically remote regions of our world.”
Trump did not directly address the war or the reported school attack. The Israeli military stated it was not aware of strikes in the area, while the U.S. military said it was reviewing the reports.
Diplomatic Tensions at the UN
Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, had earlier described it as “deeply shameful and hypocritical” for Washington to convene a meeting on protecting children in conflict while simultaneously launching airstrikes on Iranian cities.
The United States holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for March. The White House said Melania Trump’s selection reflected her long-standing focus on child welfare.
Her appearance also came amid heightened tensions between Washington and the United Nations. President Donald Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from several UN-affiliated bodies, including the World Health Organization and UNESCO, and has allowed billions in assessed contributions to remain unpaid, according to reporting by The Guardian.
In January, Guterres warned that the UN was facing a “near financial collapse.” Meanwhile, Trump recently convened a newly formed Peace Board with dozens of countries in Washington, in a format resembling a UN-style meeting.
Asked whether the First Lady’s presence signaled improved US–UN relations, a UN spokesperson told Associated Press that it demonstrated “the importance the United States places on the Security Council and this issue.”
Advocacy for Children
Melania Trump has previously engaged in child-focused diplomacy. Last summer, she wrote to Vladimir Putin ahead of his summit with her husband. She later said the effort contributed to Ukrainian children displaced to Russia after the 2022 invasion being reunited with their families.
Concluding her address, she stated:
“Conflict is born of ignorance, but knowledge creates understanding, replacing fear with peace and unity.”
She urged Security Council members to “commit to protecting learning in our communities and promoting access to higher education for all,” adding:
“Please build a next generation of leaders who embrace peace through education.”
