The United States will assume the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of March, a role that allows the presiding country to set the council’s agenda and chair its meetings. As part of this tenure, First Lady Melania Trump is scheduled to preside over a Security Council session on March 2, marking the first time a sitting American first lady will chair a meeting of the powerful international body.
According to the White House, the session in New York will focus on the intersection of children, technology, education, and conflict zones. The meeting is expected to highlight education as a key instrument for promoting tolerance, stability, and long-term peace. In a statement, the first lady’s office said the initiative aims to emphasise education’s role in fostering global understanding and preventing conflict, positioning learning and technological access as essential tools for building more secure societies.
The presidency of the UN Security Council rotates monthly among its 15 member states, with each presiding country responsible for guiding discussions and overseeing proceedings during its term. The United States, one of the council’s five permanent members alongside the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China, traditionally assigns the task of chairing sessions to its UN ambassador or a senior cabinet-level official. Melania Trump’s role therefore represents a departure from established practice and a notable symbolic moment in the council’s history.
While several American first ladies have previously played influential roles in international diplomacy, none chaired Security Council meetings while serving in the position. Eleanor Roosevelt, for instance, was instrumental in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and served as a prominent US delegate to the United Nations after her tenure as first lady, but she did not preside over council sessions during her time in the White House.
The development also comes amid a complex relationship between the Trump administration and the United Nations. President Donald Trump has frequently criticised the organisation, describing it as ineffective and advocating structural reforms. During his presidency, the United States withdrew from or reduced engagement with several UN-affiliated bodies, including the World Health Organization, UNESCO, and the UN Human Rights Council. The administration also cut funding to certain UN programmes, particularly those linked to Palestinian refugee assistance and climate initiatives, citing concerns over bias and governance. Against this backdrop, the first lady’s planned leadership of a Security Council meeting adds a new diplomatic dimension to Washington’s engagement with the global institution.
