David Makovsky at WINEP has a smart piece on what’s happening in the run-up to the conference. In particular he notes how the goals for Annapolis have shifted:

First, instead of the expected pre-conference declaration of final status — principles and conceptual tradeoffs on core issues such as Jerusalem, borders, security, and refugees — Annapolis will only mark the beginning of negotiations on these issues. Second, the November conference will attempt to revive the moribund Quartet Roadmap laid out by the United States, UN, European Union, and Russia in 2003, with particular focus on the plan’s first phase: cooperative on-the-ground action by both sides to improve Palestinian security and curb Israeli settlement activity, among other issues.

The Roadmap has led a strange life in recent months, with its requirements invoked and disregarded as circumstances warrant. In general I think it’s a good thing that it is being revived, if only that abiding to it helps establish some basic sense of fidelity to past agreements when it comes to U.S. involvement in the peace process.