Melania Trump to be first spouse of president to preside over UNSC

United Nations: US First Lady Melania Trump is to preside over a meeting of the Security Council when the US takes over its presidency for the month.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday that this would be the first time that the spouse of a president takes the gavel at a session of the Council.

He said that Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo will brief the Council session that will deal with education.

The First Lady’s office said she will preside over a session that will discuss education, technology and advancing tolerance.

Melania Trump, a former model who was born in Slovenia, is the third wife of Trump.

As First Lady, she has promoted initiatives focusing on children.

One of them is the “Be Best” campaign that seeks to protect children against cyberbullying, and to promote responsible social media use and their health.

She has also campaigned to improve the educational and career prospects of children raised in foster care.

US Permanent Representative Michael Waltz said that her leading the session meshed with her advocacy for children.

He told Fox News that it is “fitting that the first lady, a passionate and tireless advocate for children, will preside over the first day of America’s presidency of the Security Council”.

“Her message of helping the helpless through education and technology fits exactly with our mission at the UN, to achieve meaningful and lasting peace”, he added.

On Sunday, the US will take over the rotating presidency of the Council for March from the United Kingdom, and its first session will be on Monday.

Trump, who has had harsh words for the UN saying it is not living up to its potential, has lately moderated his criticism, even as he claimed last week that the Board of Peace would “almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly”.

The Board was set up with the concurrence of the Council to ensure the ceasefire takes hold in Gaza and to facilitate its reconstruction.

However, Trump is trying to give it an open-ended agenda beyond the Council’s mandate.

But Trump also said that the UN has “tremendous potential”, and there are “some very good people at the United Nations”, and offered help to strengthen it.

After withholding the US dues to the UN of about $4 billion, Trump released $160 million last week towards the arrears for last year.

Dujarric said Melania Trump presiding over the session is a “sign of the importance that the US feels towards the subject [of education and children] and the Security Council”.

IANS