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The way the Cancun meeting has ended without an agreement and with such strong divisions is another wake up call for the system.

The TRIPS Agreement allows the grant of compulsory licences (CL) to override patents, so that generic manufacturers may produce their cheaper versions of patented drugs.

Many governments as well as NGOs had called for the following principles to be adhered to with respect to the Draft Text: Different and divergent views of Members must be fully reflected in the Text that will form the basis for negotiations.

The WTO's 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancun faces many key issues and problems. The outcome will be crucial for people and communities around the world.

'The sacrifice of Compa

Cancun's most important decision will be whether or not to launch negotiations on the 'new issues' or 'Singapore issues': investment, competition, transparency in government procurement, trade facilitation.

'After so many comments and declarations of sympathy with our cause from the WTO secretariat and many ministers, the mountain gave birth to a mouse... no, not even a mouse, an ant!' -Francois Traor

Hosted by deputy USTR Chris Padilla (sp?); speakers inlcuded deputy USTR Chris Mendenhall on Service/ Investment and Kathy Novelli, deputy USTR for Europe/ Mediterranean.

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.

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.