GENEVA (AFP) - The World Trade Organisation published a model of key decisions for ministers to take at an upcoming meeting in Mexico to revive stalled global trade talks.
The draft text released just under two months before the Cancun meeting is described by its authors as "somewhat skeletal" in nature and covers 23 areas of the Doha trade talks, according to a copy obtained by AFP.
But it stresses that none of the points have been agreed by the 146 members.
"It (the text) does not purport to represent agreement in whole or in part, and is without prejudice to any delegation's position on any issue," the draft text said.
WTO member countries launched the 'Doha Development Agenda' of trade liberalisation talks in Doha, Qatar in November 2001 and it is due to be completed by January 1, 2005.
The text confirms ministers' determination to conclude the round on time.
But, said the draft text's authors Uruguay ambassador Carlos Perez del Castillo, who is chairman of the WTO's ruling general council, and WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi, the "somewhat skeletal nature of this first draft is a reflection of the reality of our present situation".
"It reflects how far we still have to go in a number of key areas to fulfil the Doha mandates," it added.
The points include the highly sensitive area of agriculture, considered by many as key to the overall success of the trade round, where members have been too divided so far to meet an end-March deadline.
The draft text lays down as an objective that ministers will agree so-called modalities, or the targets for reducing subsidies and opening up markets in the farming sector, at the September 10-14 Cancun meeting.
But it contains no details or figures.
Another objective set out in the draft is a decision on resolving a problem over access to medicines for poor countries lacking their own pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.
Members failed to reach an end-2002 deadline after the US blocked a deal over concerns that any new regime agreed by the WTO should not cover non-infectious diseases, such as obesity or asthma.
The draft Cancun text states that the task before the mid-term Cancun review meeting is to "fill in the gaps in this draft so that it becomes a workable framework for action by ministers".
Consultations in the coming weeks focused on the draft will aim to produce a text that can be passed to ministers by the "latter part of August", it added.
International relief group Oxfam accused the trade talks of failing to deliver on the development goals, and blamed the United States, the European Union and Japan for pursuing "their short-term commercial interests as ruthlessly as ever".
"The draft is a barometer for judging the state of world trade talks, and it's falling fast," Oxfam said in a statement.
"There is very stormy weather ahead for the WTO unless the rich countries make some concessions to developing countries, and quickly," it added.
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