GENEVA (AP) -- The head of the World Trade Organization says failure to agree a way forward on the Doha trade talks is a sign of "paralysis in the negotiating function of the WTO" that risks overshadowing the entire body, including its role in settling disputes.
Pascal Lamy urged trade diplomats on Tuesday to reflect on their inability to complete the decade-long commerce liberalization talks, and return in the fall prepared for an "adult conversation" ahead of a ministerial meeting in December.
When it was launched in Qatar's capital in 2001, the Doha round was hailed as a chance to add billions of dollars to the global economy by cutting tariffs and helping poor countries trade their way out of poverty. Diplomats now see little chance of even a modest agreement this year.
