U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
The session, titled Children, Technology and Education in Conflict, marked the first time the spouse of a serving world leader has presided over the 15-member council, the UN’s most powerful body charged with maintaining international peace and security. The plan for her to chair the meeting was announced last week, before the joint U.S.-Israeli military action began.
According to her office, the U.S. first lady intended to highlight education as a means of promoting tolerance and global peace. Addressing delegates, she said: “The U.S. stands with all of the children throughout the world. I hope soon peace will be yours.”
However, the timing of the meeting drew sharp criticism.
Iran accused the U.S. and Israel of carrying out a strike on a girls’ primary school in the southern town of Minab on Saturday. Iran’s UN envoy, Amir Saeid Iravani, told the council that 165 schoolgirls had been killed in the attack. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claim.
Iravani described it as “deeply shameful and hypocritical” for the U.S. to convene a discussion on protecting children in armed conflict “while at the same time launching missile strikes against Iranian cities and bombing schools and killing children”.
On Saturday, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said reports from Iran highlighted how the military escalation in the Middle East “marks a dangerous moment for millions of children in the region”. The agency echoed UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the allegation that American forces had targeted a school, telling reporters on Monday that “the United States will not deliberately target a school.”
Israel’s UN ambassador said he had seen differing accounts of the incident, including claims that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps may have been responsible for the strike, but added that Israel regretted any civilian loss of life.
Without directly referring to the allegations surrounding Minab, China’s UN ambassador, Fu Cong, noted that attacks on schools are among the grave violations against children identified by the United Nations. He called on the international community to ensure thorough investigations and accountability.
The meeting also underscored longstanding tensions between the Trump administration and the UN. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the 193-member organisation since his first term in office, describing it as ineffective and in need of reform. The U.S. is billions of dollars in arrears on its contributions to the UN budget, with the shortfall having grown substantially during his presidency.
Against that backdrop, critics said the decision for the first lady to chair a high-level session on child protection risked appearing symbolic at best and contradictory at worst, given the unfolding military campaign.
Voting has ended in Denmark’s parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking a third term after a campaign shaped by t...
Türkiye is pursuing a cautious approach to the escalating Middle East conflict while maintaining regional ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa...
Traders placed more than $500 million in oil bets minutes before Donald Trump announced a delay to planned strikes on Iran, ...
Pakistan has offered to host talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the Gulf conflict, as tensions remain high des...
Hezbollah has pledged to defend the region against Israeli forces, warning it will resist any move to occupy southern Lebanon, as Israel sets out p...
Voting has ended in Denmark’s parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking a third term after a campaign shaped by tensions with the U.S. over Greenland and mounting domestic concerns.
Türkiye is pursuing a cautious approach to the escalating Middle East conflict while maintaining regional ties, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday, warning against actions that could deepen instability.
Traders placed more than $500 million in oil bets minutes before Donald Trump announced a delay to planned strikes on Iran, data shows, shortly before prices plunged.
Pakistan has offered to host talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the Gulf conflict, as tensions remain high despite reports of possible diplomacy and continued military strikes across the region.
The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
Pakistan has offered to host talks between the U.S. and Iran to bring an end to the conflict, while Lebanon has ordered the Iranian Ambassador to leave the country. Meanwhile, oil prices continue rising as the fallout from the Middle East conflict continues.
Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direct talks or negotiations, contradicting U.S. claims - latest on Middle East conflict.
Violent clashes broke out between police and opposition protesters in Tirana on Sunday (22 March) as demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the Albanian government following corruption allegations against the deputy prime minister.
FinaFinal results from Slovenia’s parliamentary elections indicate a near tie between the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) and the liberal Freedom Movement Slovenia (GS), leaving neither side with a clear path to power.
Voting has ended in Denmark’s parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking a third term after a campaign shaped by tensions with the U.S. over Greenland and mounting domestic concerns.
Eurozone private sector growth almost stalled this month, a key survey showed on Tuesday, adding to evidence that the bloc is already feeling economic fallout from the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran, with inflation rising and growth slowing.
China is raising domestic petrol and diesel prices under temporary measures to manage a sharp surge in global oil costs, aiming to support fuel suppliers while maintaining market stability during a period of heightened volatility.
Russia launched drones and missiles overnight on Tuesday at Ukraine, killing at least three people, damaging houses and triggering fires, Ukrainian officials said.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Monday (23 March) that Britain must plan for the possibility that the Iran war could continue for some time, and added that he had no "meaningful concerns" about energy supply.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment