Melania Trump, the First Lady of the United States, will chair a session of the United Nations Security Council on Monday in an historic first, becoming the first sitting first lady to preside over a council meeting during Washington’s monthly presidency of the body.
The session, titled “Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict”, will examine how education and digital development can promote tolerance, peace and protection for children affected by armed conflict. White House and UN officials said the agenda reflects U.S. diplomatic priorities during its turn at the helm of the 15-member council.
The Security Council presidency rotates monthly among member states in English alphabetical order and belongs to the state holding the seat rather than to a specific individual.
Meetings are usually chaired by the country’s permanent representative to the UN. When the United States holds the presidency, its UN ambassador normally presides over procedural duties such as opening sessions, guiding debate and managing the agenda.
The U.S. permanent representative, Mike Waltz, was confirmed in 2025 and is expected to lead the U.S. delegation during the March 2026 presidency unless another official is designated.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric confirmed that there has been no previous instance of a sitting first lady or first gentleman chairing a Security Council session.
Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo is expected to brief the council during the meeting.
Melania Trump is the spouse of the President, but does not have an official diplomatic role within the U.S. administration. It is a first for the country and the UN.
Al Gore chaired a council session in 2000 while serving as U.S. vice president and head of delegation. That instance involved a constitutionally elected office-holder formally leading the national delegation.
The session on Monday (2 March) also comes amid continued debate over UN funding and effectiveness under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington has criticised aspects of the organisation and withheld portions of its assessed contributions. While the United States remains the UN’s largest financial contributor, arrears amount to several billion dollars. A partial payment of about $160 million was recently made.
The White House said Melania Trump will use the session to emphasise education as a tool for tolerance and long-term peacebuilding. The initiative is consistent with her advocacy for children affected by conflict, including a 2025 appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin seeking the return of Ukrainian children displaced during the war.
Officials said the decision on who will preside reflects the importance Washington attaches to the session’s theme rather than any change in council governance. The meeting forms part of the United States’ programme of work during its presidency, a period when the presiding country may spotlight specific high-level issues.
The session takes place amid continued debate over the effectiveness and financing of the United Nations under the administration of Donald Trump. Washington has criticised elements of the organisation and withheld portions of its assessed contributions.
Although the United States remains the UN’s largest financial contributor, arrears total several billion dollars. A partial payment of about $160 million was recently made.
Have other countries ever broken the convention?
There is no public record of any UN member state assigning a sitting first lady or first gentleman to chair a Security Council meeting.
While member states retain flexibility in designating who presides, the responsibility has historically been carried out by accredited diplomats or senior government officials.
At least 132 people have died and 570 have been injured after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, the Colombian Association ...
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran see...
Türkiye’s parliament on Monday approved a key piece of legislation underpinning the government’s effort to end decades of conflict with the Kurdi...
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
One hundred years after the First World War and more than eighty years after the devastation of the Second World War gave rise to the United Nations, humanity once again finds itself living in an age of permanent crisis.
For months, efforts to secure the Red Sea have focused on what is happening in the water. Naval deployments have increased, governments have expanded maritime cooperation and shipping companies have adapted to persistent security threats.
Greenland has issued a “strong warning” to a U.S. oil company linked to President Donald Trump after drilling equipment was brought ashore without the required government approvals, according to British media.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Türkiye’s parliament on Monday approved a key piece of legislation underpinning the government’s effort to end decades of conflict with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), moving the so-called Terror-Free Türkiye initiative closer to implementation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 11th of August, covering the latest developments.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia is preparing to deploy additional North Korean forces on its territory and has received more ballistic missiles from Pyongyang, arguing that their growing military cooperation poses a threat beyond Ukraine.
Firefighters were continuing to battle a massive blaze at the Zawiya refinery on Tuesday as Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said it could declare force majeure and completely halt operations if drone attacks on oil assets in the city continued.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment