Melania Trump declares ‘the moment is now’ for new global children’s initiative at UN

First lady Melania Trump used the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) stage Tuesday to deliver a warning and a call to action: children must be protected as technology races ahead.

Trump unveiled her new initiative “Fostering the Future Together” in her remarks, a global coalition of nations dedicated to advancing children’s well-being in the digital era through education, innovation and technology.

Opening in a moment of reflection, the first lady urged leaders to see childhood imagination not as trivial, but as a rehearsal for innovation later in life.

“As children we all played marbles, flew paper airplanes and ran with the string in our hand, watching our kites lift off,” she said. “Great minds have turned marbles into microchips, paper airplanes into drones and kites into satellites.”

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First lady Melania Trump speaks Tuesday at the United Nations in New York, where she announced the launch of “Fostering the Future Together,” a global coalition focused on children’s well-being in the digital era. (POOL)

Trump stressed her appreciation for technology, saying it has “saved lives, expanded access to knowledge and connected people” — but, she stressed, safety must come first. 

“Since technology is evolving at a pace that exceeds lawmaking, we must identify simple solutions to protect our children’s ingenuity,” Trump said.

The first lady said the coalition’s mission is “to ensure that every child can flourish in the digital era.” She called on spouses or equivalents of heads of government to lead programs in their own countries and confirmed the first meeting will be hosted at the White House in the first quarter of 2026.

According to a news release, the coalition will work with the private sector to expand children’s access to innovative education technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and blockchain while also exchanging best practices about AI’s advantages and risks.

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Melania Trump delivers remarks from the dais at the UN General Assembly in New York, unveiling an international initiative on technology, education and child safety. (POOL)

Issuing a call to action, Trump added: “The moment is now. Please join me to foster the future together. Work with me to empower children to achieve new heights across our planet.”

The announcement builds on the first lady’s long-standing focus on children’s health, safety and opportunity, now elevated to the global stage.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk up an escalator after it stalled Tuesday at General Assembly Hall at U.N. headquarters in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

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Trump urged safety above all in her new coalition: “Nothing comes before safety. We must safeguard healthy environments for our children, protect their personal freedom, their confidence and motivation.”

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.