Posted on September 20, 2011

Jobs Will Be Focus of Seventh Annual Clinton Global Initiative

The seventh annual Clinton Global Initiative, which opens today, will focus on job creation, sustainable consumption, and programs for women and girls, Reuters reports.

Former President Bill Clinton, who will again host the annual meeting, also announced new elements of the conference, including a live discussion via satellite with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, general secretary of the National League for Democracy; and a conversation with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu. "Aung San Suu Kyi's and Archbishop Desmond Tutu's extraordinary leadership in addressing critical global challenges exemplifies the shared dedication of Clinton Global Initiative members, who have improved the lives of more than 300 million people in more than 180 countries since CGI began seven years ago," said Clinton in announcing the two conversations.

With more than fifty other heads of state among the 1,200 CGI members in attendance, President Barack Obama will address the conference on Wednesday delivering remarks at the Sustainable Consumption plenary, where he is expected to discuss his recently announced jobs plan.

Clinton said he hopes it will become standard practice for the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to work together to tackle social and economic challenges. "What I really am trying to do is to develop models of doing business in a way that makes CGI less necessary," Clinton told Reuters. "But we're not there yet."