The
146 ministers struggled to avoid a stalemate on the final day of a WTO
conference as new proposals came under fierce attack from poor nations.
Raven
by deep divisions and threatened by a North-South split, the WTO faces a
staggering array of opponents, ranging from masked anarchists to
besuited lawyers.
As
noisy protests were underway in the streets of Cancun, an army of
experts worked quietly inside the fortress-like conference venue, only
steps away from the resort's famed white sand beaches and turquoise
Caribbean waters, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Almost
1,000 non-governmental organizations were accredited to the meeting, and
handed out mountains of statements addressing issues ranging from the
plight of African cotton farmers, to the misery of AIDS patients unable
to afford medication, to the health effects of genetically modified
food.
International
relief agencies, farmers' organizations, pro-business associations and
environmental lobbyists were among the wide array of groups that worked
on the sidelines of the conference.
Several
had lawyers and experts on hand to analyze the complex negotiations and
explain their views at news conferences held at nearby beachside hotels.
The
delegations were locked in arduous negotiations, hoping to prevent a
North-South split from shattering hopes of establishing a
"framework" for future trade liberalization talks.
There
was little doubt they faced a formidable task after developing countries
bitterly criticized the draft WTO text, some even rejecting it outright,
while wealthier nations expressed reservations on several issues.
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Anti-WTO
protests in Tokyo
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Agriculture
remained the main bone of contention as ministers commented on the
document, completed Saturday, that had sought to encompass widely
divergent positions on how to free up global commerce.
The
so-called Singapore issues, which include competition and investment,
also were a sticking point.
At
an overnight meeting of nine delegations, several developing countries
reiterated their determination not to discuss the Singapore issues until
they get an agreement on the reduction of agricultural subsidies.
"The
United States and Europe tried to convince developing countries to start
the negotiations soon," a source close to the talks told AFP.
But
India, Kenya, Malaysia and South Africa rejected the proposal,
"saying they would not budge on these issues as long as the United
States and Europe do not make significant concessions on agricultural
subsidies," she said.
"Every
country has taken the position that it wants more of everything in areas
where it is on the offensive and less of everything where they are on
the defensive," said conference spokesman Keith Rockwell.
"Clearly,
if this situation persists, it will be impossible to reach agreement on
this ministerial text."
The
United States and Europe were less critical than developing countries,
deeming the text conditionally acceptable.
"What's
on the table is an acceptable basis for us for the discussions, and we
intend to work constructively towards reaching consensus on this
basis," European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said.
But
he cautioned that the document also posed some serious problems for the
EU, notably provisions foreseeing the elimination of all agricultural
export subsidies.
His
U.S. counterpart, Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, called the
document "constructive."
"There
are positive elements and others that we will have to improve and
clarify. Now comes the crucial give and take toward the final
document."
Indian
Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley contended that agricultural export
subsidies, which when offered by rich countries to their farmers prevent
their counterparts in the developing world from competing effectively,
were allowed to remain in place in the draft text.
In
addition, he charged, sections on widening market access offer special
treatment for rich countries, a provision he described as "utterly
incomprehensible."
As
a result, he added, "this text does not lend itself to any
meaningful dialogue."
The
text calls for the elimination of subsidies on certain farm products
deemed by developing countries to be of special importance to their
livelihoods.
Export
assistance to other agricultural products would be removed gradually.
The
Cairns Group of 17 major farming nations also expressed major concerns
over the text, which Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile said fell far
short of the goals set by the 2001 Doha conference that launched the
current round of global trade talks.
Protests
Some
staged small protests in the conference center, and the international
relief organization Oxfam organized a breakfast on the beach, where
people disguised as the leaders of the Group of Eight top industrialized
nations played with genetically altered food.
Ten
kilometers (six miles) away from the conference venue, a massive
barricade, riot police and water canons prevented militant
anti-capitalists from heading to the WTO gathering.
On
Saturday, activists, led by South Korean protesters, managed to break
off part of the barrier, but did not try to cross the police cordon or
engage.
But
small groups of protesters had earlier thrown rocks, bottles and
coconuts at police, who evidently had strict orders to avoid violence at
all costs, not even reacting when demonstrators Saturday hurled a bucket
of excrement at them.
The
most widely publicized protest was the suicide of a South Korean
militant who stabbed himself atop a police barrier Wednesday, in an act
that overshadowed the opening of the WTO conference.
Mexican
indigenous farmers, Korean trade unionists, U.S. students and African
activists were among the thousands of people who participated in the
counter-summit, many camping out under tarps.
At
one makeshift camp, the crowd was dominated by anarchists known as the
"Black Bloc," who kept an assortment of stones and other
projectiles at the ready in large, wheeled trash containers.
One
of them, shirtless and sporting a Che Guevara tattoo on his right arm,
pointed to a few dozen gas masks made of plastic bottles and cotton
wool, and proudly proclaimed: "We recycle."
