So what can we expect from Cancun?

This was a highly dramatic moment, but there is a theatre to international diplomacy that often obscures its importance. Real people's lives are playing out in the wings.

The 5th Ministerial Meeting in Cancun came to a dramatic end without agreement, leaving negotiations in a deadlock.

On the agenda were a range of issues agreed upon at the Doha Ministerial Meeting in 2001, including agriculture, services, e-commerce and the environment.

At the eleventh hour, the European Union had continued to push for an expansion of the WTO's powers to include new issues such as investments, competition policy, transparency in government procurement and trade facilitation.

On 14 September, developing countries stood firm on their opposition to open negotiations on these issues without agreement.

Despite the Ministerial Meeting's abrupt ending, the outcome is not a negative one. It was the only option for the developing countries, as no deal is better than a bad deal at this stage. Developing countries refuse to be pushed into a corner and have proven they are a force to be reckoned with at the WTO negotiating table. (WDM reference)

The Philosophy of Cant by George Monbiot. Part 3

World Trade and Global Migration by Bobby Gilmore SSC

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