国际英语新闻：Lamy: Doha negotiations need higher gear

GENEVA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- The WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy told the Trade Negotiations Committee on Tuesday that the foremost challenge over the next several weeks is to take the engagement on Doha negotiations to a higher gear, by going deeper and wider in the discussions.

Lamy welcomed the developments from the first round of negotiation and small group engagements and brainstorming by representatives from WTO members, the so called "cocktail approach ", which aims at trust-building, as well as identifying remaining difficulties, potential flexibility, and possible trade-offs. "I think we need to continue to provide the space and air for these efforts to further develop," Lamy said.

According to the WTO, the small group engagements, started from March 2010, has been carried out on agriculture, non-agricultural market access, services, rules (including fisheries subsidies), trade facilitation, development, trade-related intellectual property rights, environment and dispute settlement.

The small group activities will continue until mid-November, before the upcoming G20 meeting in Seoul.

"I think we are all looking to leaders to send a clear political signal that they are ready to enter the end-game of the Doha negotiations," Lamy said.