At 5pm, local (Doha) time, discussions aimed at launching a new round of trade liberalisation talks are in deep difficulty. A draft 'Declaration' released earlier in the day reflected yesterday's agreement on drug patents, but little progress in other key areas at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting.

The environment continues to be an issue that divides the talks, with
Europe favouring reconsideration of how to protect the environment in relationship to trade, and North America and many developing countries resisting this discussion.

The draft text, released earlier, shows weak language on environmental issues, with limited exceptions that are primarily concerned with market liberalisation in environmental goods and services.

Agriculture, dumping, market access for textile products and issues affecting development of the world's poorest countries remain unresolved. At this point it seems unlikely that this meeting will agree on trade liberalisation on investment issues and government purchasing policies.

At the most, this meeting will launch a 'new round' with very slim
content compared to the hopes of pro-free-traders. However, it may still be quite harmful and the key issue of protecting the environment against trade challenges will be substantially unaddressed.

Greenpeace is calling for a fundamental transformation of the rules governing international trade and their relationship to other issues.

A revision conference on international trade and financial
institutions should be held under the auspices of the UN, following
the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa next September.

Qatari authorities have given notice the venue will close at midnight, meaning this will almost certainly wrap up one way or the other this evening.

Greenpeace activists at the meeting conducted an action this
afternoon, shortly after the draft text was released. Carrying large boxes labelled "Recycle the WTO", activists marched into a
document-distribution area, and cleared sheafs of waste paper.

The contents of the boxes will be taken away on the Rainbow Warrior to the closest recycling facility.

By Jo Dufay - the campaigns director for Greenpeace Canada. She was at the 1999 WTO talks in Seattle and is in Qatar with the Rainbow Warrior.

Also by Jo:
Greenpeace urges WTO to listen to the voices of those affected by free trade.

For more sound updates from the WTO see:

http://www.greenpeace.org/politics/no-wto/doha/

No New Round Radio webcast - Tune in NOW!
The No New Round (at the WTO) webcast is now broadcasting. On 10 November 2001, Greenpeace and Indymedia will webcast from the Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, in Doha. More >

More information:

The report “Safe Trade in the 21st Century: the Doha Edition,” contains the full Greenpeace recommendations - “The Greening of Doha”. To read the report in English, Arabic, French or Spanish click here.

Greenpeace critique of the Draft Ministerial Declaration released by the WTO on 27 October 2001 and Greenpeace’s proposed alternative.

Greenpeace International Executive Director, Gerd Leipold, statement on a new global security.

Press contacts:

Remi Parmentier, Greenpeace International: + 34 637 557 357 or + 31 653 504 702.

Tony Juniper, Friends of the Earth International: + 44 7712 843 207.

Aimee T. Gonzales, WWF: + 41796927973 or + 934 5391832.