« Honteux et hypocrite » : la présidence symbolique de Melania Trump du conseil de sécurité de l’ONU crée des remous
Melania Trump pleaded the cause of child victims of war around the world on Monday before a packed UN Security Council, two days after the start of the Israeli-American offensive against Iran.
A president unlike any other: Melania Trump pleaded the cause of child victims of war around the world on Monday before a packed UN Security Council, two days after the start of the Israeli-American offensive against Iran. "The United States stands with all children around the world. I hope that soon, peace will be with you," she declared, two days after the start of the Israeli-American offensive against Iran.
“To the families who lost their heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom, their courage and dedication will not be forgotten,” she also declared, following the first American deaths in the Middle East war. To everyone’s surprise, her office had announced last week that she would “make history” by wielding the gavel at this meeting, as the United States assumes the presidency of the Security Council in March.
“Thank you, Madam President,” said Greek Ambassador Aglaia Balta, who spoke immediately after the First Lady. According to the UN, this is the first time the spouse of a sitting president anywhere in the world has chaired such a meeting.
Melania Trump negotiated with Russia
The United States chose the theme of children, technology, and education in conflict for this meeting. This is a subject dear to Melania Trump, who notably negotiated with Moscow to secure the release of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General, paid tribute to the First Lady and her personal commitment to reuniting the children with their families. French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont described her presence as an encouragement, much like the contribution of another First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights a few decades ago.
The First Lady generally received a warm welcome from the members of the Security Council, even from Russia, which "welcomed" her presence. Will this be enough to make people forget the criticisms leveled against the UN by the Trump administration? The American president recently reiterated that the UN had "great potential" but had "never realized it," and his ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, directly attacked the Security Council on Saturday, accusing it of failing to enforce its numerous resolutions on Iran.
Iran cites a lack of "moral clarity"
The presence of the Iranian ambassador at the Security Council's emergency meeting on Saturday, just hours after the start of the strikes against Iran, "makes a mockery of this body," he declared, deploring a lack of "moral clarity" at the UN. After her gavel struck the final blow, Melania Trump wished the Council members "strength and determination to preserve peace in the world."
Daniel Forti, an analyst for the International Crisis Group, doubts that this visit marks a change in the Trump administration's attitude toward the United Nations. It will "only reinforce the inherent contradictions in American policy on war and peace," he told AFP before the meeting.
An issue that the Iranian ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, seized upon when speaking to the press: "It is deeply shameful and hypocritical that on the first day of their presidency (...) the United States convened" this meeting "while at the same time, they launched missiles that struck Iranian cities and schools, killing children."
Observers also point to the fact that for the past year, the United States has notably withdrawn from UNESCO, which is in charge of education, science and culture, and has decided to no longer work with the UN Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict.
Some also believe that the "Peace Council" created by the American president seeks to bypass the Security Council, and that American payment arrears are significantly impacting the UN's already strained finances. Despite a recent payment of $160 million, these arrears amount to more than $4 billion for the general budget and the peacekeeping budget, according to the UN.
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