Melania Trump Presides at UN Meeting   03/03 06:13

   

   UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- U.S. first lady Melania Trump presided over a U.N. 
Security Council meeting on Monday focusing on children in conflict, one of her 
signature issues, and acknowledged she was doing so in "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 U.N., 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 U.N. 
Charter provides," he told reporters.

   U.N. 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 U.N.

   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.

   US 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 U.N. agencies and other international organizations 
that address these issues.

   Among them is the U.N. 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 U.N. children's agency, 
UNICEF, and has withdrawn from the U.N. 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 U.N. headquarters in a motorcade and was greeted 
by U.N. 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 start of the war. Guterres condemned the U.S. and 
Israeli airstrikes as violations of international law, including the U.N. 
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.