Melania Trump presides at UN Security Council meeting on children in conflict as U.S. attacks Iran

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump spoke at a UN Security Council meeting saying that the 'U.S. stands with all of the children throughout the world.'

UNITED NATIONS — U.S. first lady Melania Trump presided over a UN Security Council meeting on Monday focusing on children in conflict, one of her signature issues, and acknowledged she was doing so at “challenging times” as the United States has joined Israel in attacking Iran.

“The U.S. stands with all of the children throughout the world,” she said, speaking generally and not specifically about the new war in the Middle East. “I hope soon peace will be yours.”

Hanging over Monday’s meeting was what Iranian state media says was an airstrike that hit a girls’ school in southern Iran, killing at least 165 people and wounding dozens more. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in the area. The U.S. military said it was looking into the reports.

Shortly before Monday’s session began, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, said it was “deeply shameful and hypocritical” for the U.S. to convene a meeting on protecting children during conflict while launching airstrikes on Iranian cities.

“For the United States, `protecting children’ and `maintaining international peace and security’ clearly mean something very different from what the UN Charter provides,” he told reporters.

UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo said the world body was aware of the reports of the deaths at the girls’ school. She noted the impact the U.S.-Israeli strikes and the Iranian retaliatory strikes was having on children across the region.

“We have been reminded of this truth over the last two days,” she told the Security Council. “Schools in Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have closed and moved to remote learning owing to the ongoing military operations in the region,” she said.

Melania Trump was the first spouse of a world leader to take the president’s seat at the United Nations’ most powerful body, which is charged with ensuring global peace and security, according to the UN.

The wife of President Donald Trump was given the opportunity as the United States takes over the council presidency for the month of March. In the past, presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers have often wielded the gavel.

Speaker after speaker on Monday said it was important to close the digital divide between developed and developing countries so all children have access to 21st century technology.

Melania Trump strongly advocated for all children to be connected to artificial intelligence to help them learn about the beliefs, customs and history of others. “AI is democratizing knowledge which was once confined to university libraries,” she said.

Drawing a connection between knowledge and peace, she urged members of the Security Council to “safeguard learning.”

“Enduring peace will be achieved when knowledge and understanding are fully valued within all our societies,” she said.

U.S. has cut funding to UN agencies that protect children

While the first lady spoke of a need to protect children and their access to education and technology in conflict, her husband’s administration has cut funding for a number of UN agencies and other international organizations that address these issues.

Among them is the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children in Armed Conflict, which provides detailed reporting on the impact that conflicts have on children around the world. This information can help trigger action to prevent rape and violence against women and children. President Trump withdrew U.S. support in January.

The U.S. has also dramatically cut funding for the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, and has withdrawn from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.

DiCarlo told the council the world is facing the highest number of armed conflicts since World War II. “The number of civilians killed in these conflicts is the highest in decades,” she said. “Our reality is clear: When conflicts erupt, children are among those most severely affected.”

The first lady arrived at UN headquarters in a motorcade and was greeted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. She shook hands with each of the 15 Security Council members and posed for a group photo.

The rotating president of the council gets to choose the subject and participants for some meetings. Monday’s meeting was scheduled before the war began.

The council’s last meeting, on Saturday, was a contentious emergency session called in response to the war. Guterres condemned the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes as violations of international law, including the UN Charter. He also condemned Iran’s retaliatory attacks for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations in the Mideast.

Melania Trump’s support of Ukrainian children

Melania Trump took the unusual step last summer of writing a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin before his summit with her husband and later announced that the effort had led to a group of children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war being reunited with their families.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 resulted in Russia taking Ukrainian children out of their country so they could be raised as Russian. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has lobbied world leaders for help reuniting families.

Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press