First Lady Melania Trump will “make history” on Monday as the United States takes over the United Nations Security Council presidency and she becomes the first sitting First Lady to control the gavel and address the body.
Trump’s speech, set to focus on achieving peace through better education, will not just mark the first time an American First Lady has presided over the Security Council — it will also be the first time a sitting First Lady from any member nation has done so.
The Office of the First Lady released a statement on Monday, declaring, “First Lady Melania Trump is set to make history at the United Nations, taking the gavel as the United States assumes the Security Council Presidency to emphasize education’s role in advancing tolerance and world peace.”
The statement went on to say that Trump would preside over the council as members addressed topics relating to “education, technology, peace, and security.”
First Lady Melania Trump to Preside Over U.N. Security Council Calling for Peace Through Education
Today at 3PM ET pic.twitter.com/d2UXUdNmhh
— Office of the First Lady (@FirstLadyOffice) March 2, 2026
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz gave a brief statement to Fox News Digital, saying that given Melania Trump’s long history of being “a passionate and tireless advocate for children,” it was only “fitting” that she address the Security Council to promote education and advocate for its use as a path to peace.
“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 explained. “As a green beret and now diplomat, I have seen firsthand that peace prevails where children are taught and not terrorized.”
Melania Trump’s personal initiatives have almost always been geared toward children, beginning with her BE BEST program announced in 2018 — which promoted online safety and anti-cyber-bullying programs for children, as well as efforts to combat opioid addiction. In her time away from the White House, she also introduced Fostering the Future to promote digital safety and AI education — and to provide scholarship funds for children in the foster care system.
