• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWIvanka Trump

Here’s What Ivanka and Melania Trump Are Doing at the United Nations

Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
Alana Abramson
By
Alana Abramson
Alana Abramson
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 19, 2017, 7:23 PM ET

It’s not just President Donald Trump’s debut at the United Nations — it’s also his wife and daughter’s.

Both Ivanka and Melania Trump accompanied President Trump to the United Nations’ General Assembly this week. Although it was the President’s speech that dominated the headlines, both the First Daughter and First Lady have events of their own.

Ivanka Trump, the First Daughter and a Senior Adviser to the President, has begun a series of meetings related to her West Wing portfolio, according to a White House Official. On Monday, she met with India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, where the two discussed female entrepreneurship and workforce development. The First Daughter will lead the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India this November, which is a primary reason Swaraj requested the meeting, according to a White House official.

Just hours after her father delivered his speech before the General Assembly on Tuesday, Ivanka Trump participated in an event hosted by British Prime Minister Theresa May on the need to end modern slavery and human trafficking. She noted in her remarks that she was participating at May’s invitation, and highlighted the work she had been doing on this issue since her father took office. In May, the First Daughter held a bi-partisan round table with members of Congress on the need to combat human trafficking and met with a group of trafficking survivors when she accompanied the President on his trip to Rome.

“Human trafficking and forced labor are forms of modern slavery that know no boundaries, spilling across international borders, and impacting men, women, children, of all ages and all nationalities,” she said in her remarks. “We must take away the economic opportunity in these crimes. We must uphold the rule of law.”

Ivanka Trump’s other meetings at the UNGA include Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee for the Red Cross, and Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop; both of these are to discuss issues relating to female economic empowerment. She also has a coffee planned with the Netherland’s Queen Maxima, to continue the discussion the two started at the W20 summit in Germany about increasing access to financial services for women around the world. The White House said Bishop and Maurer had requested these meetings with Trump.

Kate Anderson Brower, a former White House reporter and the author of First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies, said that, based on her experience, she thinks these types of meetings between a White House adviser and foreign officials are slightly unusual, but so is Ivanka Trump’s role as a whole.

“The idea of a president’s daughter with a West Wing office and a portfolio is entirely unchartered territory so this is an example, in a public setting, of what that looks like,” she wrote in an e-mail to Fortune.

Melania Trump’s role is somewhat less high profile, and more traditional for a First Lady. She was in attendance during her husband’s speech Tuesday, and is hosting a diplomatic reception with him Tuesday evening, according to her spokeswoman. On Wednesday, she will deliver remarks at a luncheon she is hosting for the spouses of UN world leaders and committee heads, which Michelle Obama had done during her tenure as First Lady.

Her spokeswoman declined to provide details about the content of her speech.

About the Author
Alana Abramson
By Alana Abramson
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

nicole
MPWWealth
Meet Goldman’s athlete whisperer: the woman who stands guard against $1 billion of fraud targeting sports fortunes
By Nick LichtenbergMay 10, 2026
9 hours ago
Young man working on laptop with headphones in modern coffeeshop
Future of Workskills gap
AI generated identical résumés for a man and a woman: Hers was more likely to be labeled ‘weak,’ while his got a 97% approval rating
By Eleanor PringleMay 10, 2026
10 hours ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsMay 8, 2026
2 days ago
naomi
Commentarymental health
Naomi Osaka: the things I didn’t do to succeed
By Naomi OsakaMay 8, 2026
2 days ago
burke
ConferencesAthletic Gear
The CEO of Trek Bicycle reads 52 books a year, hates smartphones, and thinks Milton Friedman was wrong
By Nick LichtenbergMay 6, 2026
4 days ago
Aerie built a $2 billion brand by rejecting Victoria’s Secret’s old playbook. Now it wants to win the AI backlash
C-SuiteRetail
Aerie built a $2 billion brand by rejecting Victoria’s Secret’s old playbook. Now it wants to win the AI backlash
By Phil WahbaApril 30, 2026
10 days ago

Most Popular

'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
Future of Work
'Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from ‘talent is everywhere,’ double down on top colleges
By Jake AngeloMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
Politics
Ted Cruz says the quiet part out loud: Trump accounts are Social Security personal accounts as GOP senator reveals 'dirty little secret'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
Success
Red flag test: former CEO explains why he rejects job candidates who say they can start right away
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 9, 2026
1 day ago
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
5 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
6 hours ago
The federal government must issue more debt than it expected as cash flow weakens, and 'the bond market is shouting'
Investing
The federal government must issue more debt than it expected as cash flow weakens, and 'the bond market is shouting'
By Jason MaMay 9, 2026
19 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.