Political aftershocks of the failed World Trade Organisation summit in Cancun, Mexico, have led to the WTO’s agricultural liberalisation negotiations being delayed.
The “special session” of officials dealing with the food and drink portion of the Doha Development Round was supposed to meet in Geneva on 6-9 October, but this meeting has now been postponed “indefinitely.”
Diplomats will hope that the next meeting of the WTO’s general council on 21-22 October will provide them with guidance before the next scheduled meetings of the special session on agriculture, due the week starting 17 November.
Talks chairperson Stuart Harbinson told diplomats that the postponement had been ordered “to allow a period for reflection after the Cancun ministerial conference.”
