JEDDAH, Feb 11 (GHP) -- Former President of Ghana Jerry Rawlings has warned of double standards in the Isreali-Palistenian conflict.

Addressing the three-day 7th Jeddah Economic Forum(JEF), on Saturday, he called for a fair and just settlement of the Palestinian cause. (read the full speech)

Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, made a plea for women's rights, telling the kingdom's leaders that the dearth of women in the work force was "undermining economic potential" of the kingdom.

And Irish President Mary McAleese urged Saudi Arabia to learn from Ireland's economic transformation, which hinged on opening the country to the outside world and ushering women into the workplace.

Gerhard Schroeder, former chancellor of Germany, said globalisation affected the scope for manoeuvre not only for nation states but for private enterprises as well. He said that tremendous opportunities were generated by global business activity and free trade, and the nations of the world were called upon to jointly protect national identity and cultural diversity.
Over the three days, there will be 35 plenary and selective sessions to be addressed by 91 speakers, 38 of them Saudi and the rest from the United States, the UK, Russia, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Malaysia, Singapore, Ireland, Yemen, Ghana, Congo-Brazzaville, Kuwait, Jordan and the UAE.
Other Speakers are Gambia President Alhaji Yahya Jammeh, former US Vice President Al Gore, Congo-Brazzaville Forestry and Environment Minister Henri Djombo, Cherie Booth, lawyer and the Queen's Counsel and wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Forbes Inc. CEO and Forbes Magazine Editor in Chief Steve Forbes, Chevron Corporation Vice Chairman Peter Robertson, former Jordan Prime Minister Dr. Abdul Salam Majali, Mohamed Al-Abbar, director general of the Dubai government's department of economic development and chairman of Emaar Properties, Bahia Hariri, member of the Lebanese Parliament and sister of the late former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Andre Azoulay, counselor to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and UN Population Fund Executive Director Thoraya Obaid.