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.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon, killing 12 people and injuring hundred...
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon, killing 12 people and injuring hundreds. The airport is closed until further notice, according to Saudi Arabia's Civil Aviation Authority.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment