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Melania Trump will chair a U.N. Security Council meeting on children's impact in conflict, marking her as the first spouse of a world leader to do so.
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump is set to chair a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday centred on the impact of conflict on children, a cause she has long championed — at a time of heightened tensions following U.S. involvement alongside Israel in strikes on Iran, as reported by AP.
According to the United Nations, she will become the first spouse of a world leader to occupy the president’s seat at the Security Council, the body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
Melania Trump was able to take on the role as the United States assumes the rotating presidency of the Security Council for March. Traditionally, the gavel at the council has been held by heads of state, prime ministers, or foreign ministers.
AP reported that the rotating president of the 15-member council gets to choose the subject and participants for some meetings. Monday’s meeting, which was scheduled before the war began on Saturday, is officially titled “Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict.” The first lady’s office said it will “emphasize education’s role in advancing tolerance and world peace.”
Melania Trump will be watched for anything she says, or doesn’t say, about the impact on children of the war her husband is waging.
Girls' school in Iran hit in airstrike
Iranian state media has reported that a girls' school in southern Iran was hit in an airstrike on Saturday, killing at least 165 people and wounding dozens more. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports, AP reported.
The council’s most recent meeting on Saturday was an emergency session marked by intense debate, convened in response to the war. António Guterres denounced the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes as breaches of international law and the U.N. Charter.
He also criticised Iran’s retaliatory strikes, saying they violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East.
Melania Trump's support of Ukrainian children
Last summer, Melania Trump made the uncommon decision to send a letter to Vladimir Putin ahead of his summit with her husband. She later said the outreach helped secure the return of several children who had been separated from their families during the Russia-Ukraine war.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine led to Ukrainian children being taken into Russia to be brought up there. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since appealed to global leaders for assistance in reuniting those children with their families.
First lady presides at a time of strained US-UN ties
Trump has criticised the U.N. and withdrawn the U.S. from major U.N. organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO, while pulling funding from dozens of others. The U.S. also has failed to pay its mandatory dues and owes the United Nations billions of dollars.
This has created a financial crisis at the U.N., with Guterres warning in late January that the world body faced “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules were overhauled or all 193 member nations paid their dues.
Asked if Melania Trump’s appearance was a positive sign for U.N.-U.S. relations, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it showed “the importance that the United States feels towards the Security Council and the subject,” AP reported.
(With inputs from AP)
About the Author
Mausam Jha
Mausam Jha is a journalist who focuses on world affairs and politics. She provides clear, informative reporting with a good understanding of both glob...Read More
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