Next week, G8 leaders meet in L'Aquila,Italy, with a full agenda, including the global economic crisis, Iran, NorthKorea, piracy, and aid to the developing world.
Varioushumanitarian groups have called on the G8 to fulfill promises made to Africa atthe 2005 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.
JohnKirton, director of the Toronto-based G8 Research Group, spoke from Rome, andgave VOA a preview of what to expect at the summit.
"Ithink there's going to be substantial advances across a very broad array offronts, but really with no one central focus or big breakthrough in sight," hesays.
"Certainly,the Italians are going to try and advance their desire for a new global code toinstall a rule of law for moral finance, as they call it. But very few of their partners really sharethe passion for that," he says.
There'sgrowing concern the crisis might trigger widespread trade protectionism.
"Whatcould be done usefully is?fighting the protectionism that's now broken out withChina following the United States into 'buy national' programs that really dothreaten to unleash a protectionist spiral that we all remember so badly fromthe 1930s," he says.
Thisincludes both the traditional trade protectionism and new forms of financialand investment protectionism.
"Itwas really the United States with the Buy America Act that moved intocomprehensive protectionism. And veryrecently, we've now seen the People's Republic of China adopt a similar measureof buy Chinese across their entire economy," he says.
TheEuropean Union, the world's largest economy, could follow suit.
"Ithink the summit will importantly advance the fundamental new principle, thatas the world moves to create a climate control regime beyond the Kyoto Protocol,that all of the major carbon producing powers must commit to controlling theircarbon," he says.
Kirtonsays China, not the United States, is now the "world's number one greenhousegas emitter."
Kirton sees a chance of that happening,"saying, "The Italians have from the start given development an important placeat their summit. Understandably, as they really are the G8's frontline statewith Africa right next door," he says.
AtGleneagles, G8 leaders promised to double overall aid to the developing worldby 2010, Africa in particular.
"Butalso to focus on the particular problem of food security, which issomething?which the Italians feel they have great expertise at home. So I think we'll see some moves toward?aglobal grains reserve to?dampen the food crisis we saw at this time last yearand which may be coming back," he says.
Hesays there may be an effort to boost aid levels to agriculture and "also toignite a new green revolution" in Africa using new farming technologies.
Kirtonsays Iran and North Korea will be high on the agenda, especially since both arevying to become full-fledged nuclear powers. He says to also look for G8 action on a unified policy on how to dealwith piracy, which has been a major problem off the Somali and Kenyan coasts.
The G8 Research group has issued a newpublication featuring articles by a number of world leaders. It can be found at .