Trade negotiations under WTO:

The inability to  reach agreement on  a draft declaration at  the  2003  WTO Ministerial meeting at Cancun evoked mixed reactions. On the one hand,  it was hailed  as  a  victory for  developing countries  in the face of the obduracy of the developed countries. On  the other  hand the possible consequences  of  the breakdown rouse fears that it may be  impossible to achieve the reduction of agricultural protection in the developed countries, which  is in the  interest of  developing countries,  as  negotiations are the only way  to  reduce this protection.  Furthermore, there are apprehensions that the failure will give a fillip to the adoption of  bilateral pressure tactics by the developed countries  - developing countries may not be in a position to resist such bilateral pressures.The negotiations have resumed with the  2005  Hong Kong Ministerial, although  the road ahead is dificult.