Progress in agriculture would allow for developing countries to make some concession in other areas of interest to developed countries, such as non-agriculture products, where poor countries are being asked to lower their import tariffs.
In the case of the ongoing negotiations of services, of which the European economies are a major producer and exporter, the leaked text wants to add a strict timeline for the process to reach final conclusions.
Ministers representing seventy developing countries have issued a statement that there is no explicit consensus on commencing negotiations on modalities on the Singapore Issues.
TWN Report from Cancun by Cecilia Oh, 11 September 2003
Brazillian Minister, Celso Amorim, said that the G21 was 'fully satisfied' that the Conference Chair will ensure that the contribution of the Group will be considered in the agenda and work programme of the Conference.
Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology
One of the Protocol's major provisions embodies the 'Precautionary Principle', recognizing that a country can forbid importation when there is not sufficient information or research results to do an adequate assessment.
All major press conferences organized on 9th September a day before the Cancun Ministerial Conference (September 10-14, 2003) clearly show that Agriculture is going to make or break the Cancun Ministerial Conference of the WTO.
TWN Report from Cancun, 9 Sept 2003 (By Martin Khor)
'Ours is a good cause, we have the support of our population and a large proportion of world opinion, this is a chance for the WTO to show it cares for the poor.' - AMORIN
Strong domestic support and export subsidies in developed nations have placed tremendous curbs on the export of farm goods by developing nations which had been blocking progress on other fronts in the WTO.
Guy de Jonquieres, Frances Williams and John Authers in Cancun
Breaking the two-year deadlock over farm trade reform is widely seen as the linchpin of the five-day meeting and an acid test of rich countries' pledges to make the Doha talks a 'development' round.
'They promised tourist development that would help indigenous people, help the local people and help the poor people. And we noticed at the beginning of the process that that was lies, that wasn't the way it was going to be.' -Aguillon
