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Words in the News
 
Monday 15 September 2003
 
World trade talks collapse
 
MasksThe European Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy, has described the collapse of the World Trade talks in Mexico as a severe blow for rich and poor nations alike. The talks finally broke down over the EU and others pressing for negotiations on new trade rules against opposition from developing nations. From Cancun, the BBC's Mike Wooldridge, reports:
 
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There was much at stake in these ill-fated talks, part of a negotiating round intended to lead to a global trade deal by the end of next year.

Its focus is on boosting the economic prospects for the world's poorest nations but the EU, the United States and the World Trade Organisation have always seen it as a way of strengthening world economic recovery too. Now, after the failure of Cancun, there's a much bigger question mark over concluding the new deal on schedule.

Pascal Lamy railed against WTO procedures, calling the organisation 'medieval'. He also insisted that the EU had come to Cancun to make things work and that all could have gained but he said now everyone was losing.

The Americans maintained that the talks collapsed because there was more rhetoric than willingness to make concessions. But the fall-out from Cancun is also new muscle among the developing nations on trade issues and on agriculture in particular. And that could now lead the negotiations into uncharted territory.

Mike Wooldridge, BBC News, Cancun
 
 
ListenListen to the words
 
at stake
 
at risk of being lost
 
ill-fated
 
ending in an unfortunate way
 
boosting
 
improving
 
question mark over
 
if something has a question mark over it, it is in doubt
 
railed against
 
complained strongly about
 
'medieval'
 
very old-fashioned
 
maintained
 
continued to say
 
fall-out
 
result
 
muscle
 
strength
 
lead...into uncharted territory
 
to take something into an area where the result is not known
 
 
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