By Sabiu Abdullahi
United States First Lady Melania Trump is set to preside over a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, marking a historic moment at the global body.
Her appearance was announced last week before the United States launched military operations against Iran. According to her office, Melania will “make history at the United Nations, taking the gavel as the United States assumes the Security Council Presidency to emphasise education’s role in advancing tolerance and world peace.”
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, confirmed that the event represents the first occasion a first lady or first gentleman has chaired a Security Council session.
The United States holds the rotating presidency of the Council for the month of March.
The development comes at a time of strained relations between Washington and the United Nations. Political and financial disagreements have increased in recent years, with the US expressing frustration over its status as the largest contributor to the organisation’s budget.
Since returning to office last year, President Donald Trump has withdrawn American support from several major UN agencies, including the World Health Organization.
The UN recently introduced a reform initiative. Washington paid $160 million into the body’s regular budget a few days ago, after making no contribution in 2025. Despite that payment, the United States still owes about $4 billion in outstanding contributions to the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the organisation faces a serious financial crisis.
Melania Trump’s Security Council appearance takes place amid intensifying conflict in the Middle East. A joint US-Israeli military campaign began on Saturday with strikes in Tehran that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Iran has since carried out missile and drone attacks across several countries in the region.
