Melania Trump addresses a luncheon at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. Photo / AP
Melania Trump addresses a luncheon at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. Photo / AP
First Lady Melania Trump has called on world leaders to come together for the good of their children, delivering her first public remarks at the United Nations as the White House works to strengthen its relationships abroad.
Warning that children are closely watching their example, she told the spouses of world leaders that they "must teach each other the values of empathy and communication that are at the core of kindness, mindfulness, integrity and leadership."
"We must come together for the good of our children," Mrs Trump said at a luncheon at the US Mission to the United Nations in New York overnight.
"We must remember that they are watching and listening, so we must never miss an opportunity to teach life's many ethical lessons along the way."
According to News.com.au, she also said it is important to encourage the next generation to live by "The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Yesterday, Mrs Trump's husband drew some criticism after calling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "Rocket man" before the United Nations General Assembly.
US President Donald Trump also vowed to "totally destroy" North Korea if forced to defend the US or its allies.
On Wednesday, Mrs Trump's head table featured the spouses of French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, among others.
The 47-year-old has played a muted role in the early months of her husband's administration. She announced plans to combat cyber bullying during the campaign, but has yet to unveil any specific policies.
In remarks that spanned less than eight minutes, Mrs Trump said that children are often "hit first and hardest in any country" when it comes to drug addiction, bullying, poverty, disease, trafficking, illiteracy and hunger.
"No child should ever feel hungry, stalked, frightened, terrorised, bullied, isolated or afraid, with nowhere to turn," she said. "We need to step up, come together, and ensure that our children's future is bright."
She avoided North Korea and the more contentious foreign policy challenges, like the Iranian nuclear deal, facing her husband's administration.
It comes after Mrs Trump threatened to sue an English language school in Zagreb, Croatia for using her image on billboards to sell English classes.
The billboards, which carried the slogan "just imagine how far you can go with a little bit of English", have now been taken down.
They aimed to persuade Croats to learn English by reminding them of Slovenian-born Mrs Trump's personal experience.
