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Representatives of the West African cotton-producing countries have demanded a concrete resolution of the cotton problem at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference, as well as a clear indication now that this will be the case, if they are to have any stake in outcomes of the Conference.

Trade ministers in two informal trade sessions yesterday and Wednesday put the European Union on notice that it must come up with a substantially revised market access offer on agricultural trade in the ongoing Doha Development Agenda by next Thursday or take the blame for the collapse of the four-year-old talks

Chief trade ministers of the 'Five Interested Parties' the United States, the European Union, Australia, Brazil and India yesterday failed to 'break the ice' in the difficult market access area of the ongoing Doha Development Agenda agricultural trade negotiations

Brazil's external relations minister and chief trade negotiator Celso Amorim yesterday warned against creating a 'smokescreen' in the Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations

Trade ministers of Mali and Chad yesterday warned that time is running out for a much-promised 'cotton' initative

The European Commission called for the EU to set up a half-billion-euro globalisation 'shock absorber' fund to cushion the impact of painful restructuring efforts in Europe.

The controversy over proposals to introduce new 'benchmarking' or complementary approaches aimed at getting developing countries to accelerate their liberalisation commitments in services at the WTO is expected to re-ignite in the week starting on 17 October.

On 11 October 2005, the European Parliament's International Trade Committeeheld a public hearing on the WTO in its preparation for the WTO's HongkongMinisterial conference in December. The Third World Network's Director, Martin Khor, was invited to make apresentation as one of six experts at the hearing. He made a statement in thesession on NAMA (non agricultural market access).

European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said he was ready to show more flexibility over farm trade when he meets other top-level negotiators from around the world on Wednesday.