WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — First lady Melania Trump will chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday as the United States assumes the council’s rotating presidency, the White House said. The session, titled “Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict,” will focus on how education can promote tolerance and global peace. The move places Melania Trump in a rare diplomatic spotlight at a time when U.S.-U.N. relations remain under strain.
Melania Trump’s office said she plans to stress the importance of education in conflict zones. She will argue that access to technology and learning opportunities can help children overcome violence and division.
The United States holds the Security Council presidency this month. The role rotates among its 15 members. As president, the U.S. sets the agenda and chairs meetings. The Security Council serves as the U.N.’s main body for maintaining international peace and security. It can pass legally binding resolutions and authorize sanctions or peacekeeping missions.
Melania Trump has largely stayed out of the public eye during President Donald Trump’s time in office. However, she has supported children’s issues in the past. In 2025, she wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to return Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war. In January, she also served as the subject and executive producer of a high-budget documentary film about her life.
President Donald Trump has criticized the United Nations since his first term in office. He has called the 193-member organization ineffective and in need of reform. The United States owes billions of dollars in unpaid dues to the U.N. budget. Last week, the United Nations said it received about $160 million this month from the U.S. toward more than $4 billion in outstanding payments. Officials say that amount grew significantly during Trump’s presidency.
Historically, the United States has been the largest contributor to the U.N. budget. Under Trump, the administration refused to make mandatory payments to regular and peacekeeping budgets. It also reduced voluntary funding to several U.N. agencies. Despite past criticism, Trump struck a more measured tone last week during the first meeting of his Board of Peace initiative. He said the new effort aims to resolve global conflicts.
“The Board of Peace is going to be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly,” Trump said on Feb. 19. He added that the U.S. plans to strengthen the U.N. and support it financially.
Some world leaders have voiced concern that the Board of Peace could compete with or weaken the United Nations. Trump has denied that claim and said he wants to improve the global body’s effectiveness.
Asked whether Melania Trump’s appearance signals improved relations, U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said it shows the importance the United States places on the Security Council and the meeting’s topic.
Dujarric pointed to the session’s focus on children and education in conflict areas. He described the subject as critical for long-term peace and stability. Education remains a key issue in many war-torn regions. Armed conflict disrupts schools, displaces families,s and limits access to technology. Advocates say investment in education can reduce extremism and create economic opportunity.
Melania Trump’s role as chair of the Security Council meeting marks an unusual step for a first lady. While spouses of U.S. presidents often support charitable and diplomatic causes, they rarely lead formal sessions of the council. The meeting comes as the United States seeks to balance criticism of the United Nations with continued engagement. The U.S. remains one of the most influential members of the Security Council, alongside China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom.
By focusing on children, technology,y and education in conflict, Melania Trump will highlight a less divisive issue within global politics. Her remarks could shape how the U.S. presents its diplomatic priorities during its month at the helm of the Security Council. The session may also serve as a test of how Washington plans to work with international partners in the months ahead.
