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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.

There is so much dissatisfaction and anger among so many developing countries that the usual attempt used at Ministerials by the major developed countries to bulldoze through a text at the last minute may not work this time.

In Cancun, one of the most important decisions for Ministers will be whether or not to launch negotiations on new WTO agreements on investment, competition, transparency in government procurement, trade facilitation.

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.

'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

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.

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

Ministers representing seventy developing countries have issued a statement that there is no explicit consensus on commencing negotiations on modalities on the Singapore Issues.