CANCUN, Mexico (AFP) - Silent in Seattle in 1999, a little less discreet in Doha two years later, countries of the South are increasingly vocal and determined to influence the outcome of the WTO's Cancun conference.
Their demands are loud and clear at the Mexican seaside meeting of the World Trade Organization, where they are battling farm subsidies, struggling to defend African coffee farmers, and refusing to enter into investment negotiations.
They represent two-thirds of the world's population and have started to demand that developed countries pay attention to them. Two years after the start of the Doha round of trade liberalization talks that was meant to benefit them, nothing has changed in the eyes of numerous delegations from developing countries.
"If we want results, the rules that were imposed upon us need to be changed," said Venezuelan Trade Minister Victor Alvarez.
The focus of dissent and of the five-day conference is the issue of farm subsidies, crucial for developing countries, which represent 90 percent of the world's farmers.
A group of 20 developing countries, including heavyweights Brazil, China and India, was formed in on August 20 after the European Union (news - web sites) and the United States presented their proposals on agriculture to the WTO.
"The US-European text drove them mad because it delayed once again what they were told in Doha about agriculture and fair trade, while at the same time in these countries there were more and more farmers protesting against WTO policies," said Lori Wallach, of the US group Public Citizen.
On August 27, the group made a counter-proposal, which asked developing countries to go beyond Doha by undertaking to scrap their farm subsidies.
The group, now known as G21 since Egypt has joined, has reiterated these demands at the Cancun meeting scheduled to conclude on Sunday.
Some of the world's poorest countries also made their voices heard, with Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali demanding a swift elimination of the wealthy nations' cotton subsidies.
The LCDs (least developed countries) have understood it is in their interest not to have the rules dictated by the United States and Europe, who only represent one percent of the world's farmers," said Celine Charveriat of the Oxfam humanitarian agency.
On Thursday, 16 countries, some of them members of the G21, insisted they would refuse during the Cancun gathering to enter into negotiations aimed at creating multilateral rules aimed at encouraging investment and competition.
"Look at agriculture: nothing's changed since 1987, and they want us to open negotiations on other issues. We've been cheated over the years, and this has to change", said Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz.
Developing countries started becoming aware of the situation after the WTO ministerial meeting in Seattle and even more so after the one in Doha, a Cambodian delegate said.
"The LCDs started meeting in Geneva to follow the WTO negotiations together, issue by issue, and they now understand the texts better," the official said.
What remains to be seen is whether this southern front, whose members have at times conflicting interests, will remain united and whether it is prepared to arm-wrestle the United States and the European Union.
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