Bedlam broke out in Cancun at around 2.10 pm after the Kenyan delegate emerged from deadlocked talks on the Singapore issues of investment, competition, government procurement and trade facilitation and announced that the ministerial meeting had collapsed. The African Caribbean and Pacific Grouping (ACP), the Africa Group and the Least Developed Countries stood firm, insisting that there was no consensus to proceed with negotiations on these issues.
The EU was as immovable as the demandeur. Formal confirmation is expected within the hour.
From Jane Kelsey, an academic expert on the WTO and advisory board member of ARENA, in Cancun.