Melania Trump has called on nations to work together to improve access to education and technology for children around the world.
She delivered her plea as she addressed a gathering of her counterparts from more than 40 countries.
The 55-year-old First Lady delivered the opening remarks for the first of the two-day Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit on Tuesday, March 24, at the State Department.
The summit, which will bring together world leaders and their spouses from myriad countries and “28 best-in-class technology entities” in Washington, D.C., was hailed as “unprecedented” in a press release from the First Lady’s office.
The First Lady announced the Fostering the Future Together initiative during the U.N. General Assembly session last fall.
In her remarks, Melania, the wife of 79-year-old Donald Trump, said that it is “wonderful to receive such an impressive delegation of world leaders, first spouses, and best- in-class tech companies—all with the shared purpose to empower our next generation’s advancement in technology and education.”
She urged the alliance to work together to continue to lift children up around the world and said that the mission of the group was “to empower children by providing greater access to technology and education.”
“As people we dream. As leaders we progress. As nations we will build. Beginning today, let’s accelerate our new global alliance, this bond, to positively impact the progress of our children.”
Melania Trump
She called on participants to host regional meetings, conduct research studies, begin new partnerships and collaborate with another member country “to cultivate the skills young people need to be successful in this rapidly evolving world.”
“Each of you has a vital role to play in shaping the tech education opportunities for the next generation. Fostering the Future Together’s collaborative platform will serve as the ability multiplier for members.”
Melania Trump
She said that the goal of empowering children will be achieved by creating innovative programs, advocating for supportive education policies, sponsoring tech-focused legislation and building strong public-private partnerships.
Melania Urges Leaders To Use Human Capital To Empower People, Accelerate Economies
The First Lady said, “This room is filled with extraordinary human capital,” urging the leaders seated around a large U-shaped table in a State Department auditorium to “harness it to elevate your children, to empower your people and to accelerate your economies.”
The gathering included technology companies such as Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. Among those participating were Olena Zelenska, the spouse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Other countries represented at the summit, which the First Lady proposed while speaking at the 80th United Nations General Assembly, included Costa Rica, Poland, Romania, Belize, Slovenia, Lithuania, and more.
Melania concluded her speech before departing the event, “I wish everyone great success during Fostering the Future Together’s Global Coalition Summit. There is much to accomplish over this two-day period, and this is only the beginning.”
Although Melania left the summit early, she’s expected to play a more active role on Wednesday, March 25, which will take place at the White House.
A Spokesperson for the First Lady revealed that Melania was going to “host the full session Roundtable at the White House tomorrow.”
READ ALSO: Guterres Warns of Mounting Threats to Religious Freedom
