Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks during question period in the House of Commons. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Fresh off trips to Singapore and India, Prime Minister Stephen Harper heads to Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday to attend the Commonwealth leaders' summit.

The meeting is to focus on the global economy and the promotion of democracy, human rights and good governance. One hot-button item that could cause a stir and highlight divisions is a proposed law in Uganda that would impose life imprisonment on homosexuals.

Uganda's president is chairing this year's gathering of leaders from 53 former and current British colonies.

Another issue is climate change, with a pivotal round of United Nations climate-change talks set for Copenhagen next month.

Senior officials say they don't anticipate getting a head start on a global greenhouse-gas deal at the meeting.

But the bulk of Commonwealth nations are smaller states most prone to the effects of global warming, and they may push climate change to the top of the meeting's agenda.