WTO chief urges success at Bali ministerial meeting on trade

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy said on Thursday that members needed a change in mindset in order to gain the "early harvest" they want in a ministerial meeting due to be held in Bali, Indonesia in December.

"The stark reality is that the current pace of work is largely insufficient to deliver successfully in Bali. But, more than changing the pace of work, we need a change in mindset," he said.

Lamy told an informal trade negotiations committee meeting that negotiators had to urgently change course, to be more flexible in their negotiating attitude, to accelerate substantive work and to refrain from "throwing bricks at each other."

"Without rapid acceleration and real negotiations, it is highly probable that you will not see the deliverables you desire in Bali, " he warned.

Bali is set to host a ministerial meeting on issues such as trade facilitation, agriculture and food security. But there are fears the talks could end in a deadlock like the Doha round of talks in 2001.