On July 6, the leaders of the G-8 nations will converge at Gleneagles, Scotland for their annual summit, with British prime minister Tony Blair driving two issues to the top of the agenda: climate change and the plight of Africa.

What are the merits of Blair's plan to combat poverty in Africa, and what will be the practical implications of this month’s landmark agreement to forgive $40 billion in debt for the world's poorest nations? What position should the Bush administration, which has rejected the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, adopt on climate change at Gleneagles? Besides soaring rhetoric and predictable pomp, is the summit likely to produce, for better or worse, any meaningful policy commitments? Is it time to consider expanding or contracting the G-8 to better reflect the global economy? Should human rights and democratic practices play a role in determining G-8 membership? These and other questions will be the subject of an AEI pre-summit luncheon briefing.