New York, United States. First lady Melania Trump will chair a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday as the United States takes over the council’s monthly rotating presidency, the White House said.
Security Council session and focus
Melania Trump will emphasize education as a way to advance tolerance and world peace at the meeting, her office said in a statement on Wednesday. The session will mark the first time a sitting American first lady presides over the 15-member council, the statement said.
Trump’s past criticism of the United Nations
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized the United Nations since his first White House term, saying the 193-member body was ineffective and needed reforms.
Comments on the Board of Peace and the United Nations
Trump struck a more conciliatory tone last week at the first meeting of his Board of Peace, an initiative he said aims to resolve conflicts globally. The initiative has not been embraced by many world leaders amid concerns it was designed to replace the United Nations.
“The board of peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly,” Trump said on Feb. 19. “We’re going to strengthen up the United Nations. We’re going to make sure its facilities are good. … We’re going to help them money-wise, and we’re going to make sure the United Nations is viable.”
What do you think the focus on education could mean for the Security Council meeting’s goals?
