First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to chair a United Nations Security Council session on Monday afternoon, coinciding with the United States assuming the council’s rotating presidency for March. U.N. officials and the White House say the appearance will be a first for a sitting first lady or first gentleman, with Trump expected to spotlight education as a tool to promote tolerance and peace.
The United States is due to assume the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of March, and First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to preside over a council meeting on Monday at 3 p.m. Eastern time.
U.N. officials have described the event as unprecedented. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said it would be the first time a first lady — or first gentleman — has ever presided over a Security Council meeting.
The Office of the First Lady said Trump plans to emphasize “education’s role in advancing tolerance and world peace,” and that the meeting will address issues relating to “education, technology, peace, and security.” The session has been described in other coverage as focused on children, technology and education in conflict settings.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, in remarks reported by Fox News Digital, called Trump “a passionate and tireless advocate for children” and said it was “fitting” for her to address the council. He added: “Her message of helping the helpless through education and technology fits exactly with our mission at the U.N., to achieve meaningful and lasting peace.” Waltz, a former U.S. Army Green Beret, also said he had seen “firsthand that peace prevails where children are taught and not terrorized.”
Trump’s work as first lady has long centered on children’s issues. During Donald Trump’s first term, she launched the “Be Best” campaign in 2018, focusing on children’s well-being, including online safety and addressing cyberbullying.
In her husband’s second term, the first lady has promoted a “Fostering the Future” initiative aimed at improving educational and career opportunities for youth who have experienced foster care, including through public-private partnerships and expanded access to education and training support. Separately, the White House has also described “Fostering the Future Together,” a global coalition introduced in 2025 to encourage international collaboration around children’s well-being through education, innovation and technology.
The Security Council presidency rotates monthly among the council’s 15 members in alphabetical order, and the president typically chairs meetings and helps set the body’s agenda during its month in the role.
