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Though progresses have been achieved in a large number of very difficult areas, the negotiations in Geneva on a package of global trade agreements failed to reach a set of finalized documents, said the head of World Trade Organization (WTO) Tuesday.
Roberto Azevedo made the remarks at a meeting of the organization's General Council after weeks of talks which concluded behind schedule on Monday.
The documents, if fully agreed, were previously said to be brought to the ninth Ministerial Conference to be held at Bali, Indonesia, from Dec. 3 to 6, for the ministers to announce to the world a set of multilaterally agreed outcomes.
Azevedo said that they came very close to fully agreed texts, and convergence in almost all areas is managed to be achieved, but he noted that over the last few days, tough political calls halted, positions got more entrenched and flexibility virtually disappeared, and this caused them fail to reach the finish line and to clinch the deal.
"The process in Geneva is over. This has to go to a higher level... At this point of time, it requires political calls," Azevedo said at a press conference held later.
As for the reasons of the trade talks impasse, Azevedo said that it is neither about the North-South divide nor about the lack of time, but about specific and localized difficulties.
