Leaders join Clinton's alternative summit

Former US president Bill Clinton opens the "Clinton Global Initiative" along with his guests (L-R) King Abdullah II from Jordan, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in New York Thursday. The Initiative brings world leaders from business, politics, science and religion to discuss about poverty, religion, climate change and other world challenges. PHOTO: AFP

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, King Abdullah II of Jordan and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were to be the star turns at the first session of the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday night.

While the UN summit struggles to answer the main problems facing the planet: nuclear proliferation, terrorism and the fight against poverty and disease, Clinton hopes to secure concrete commitments to counter the different scourges from his powerful guests.

About 1,000 presidents, prime ministers, kings, tycoons and humanitarian organisers have been invited to the New York hotel close to the UN headquarters where the other summit is going ahead.

The priorities of Clinton's three day gathering is the battle against poverty, conflict and global warming.

Round table discussions on topics such as relations between Islam and the West, how to finance clean energy and investment in the developing world will be addressed by presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine, World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz, tycoons George Soros and Rupert Murdoch, Gerry Adams, head of the Irish Republican party Sinn Fein, intellectuals like Nobel prize winner Elie Wiesel and Queen Rania of Jordan.