African delegates discuss WTO deal

Representatives from fifty-three African countries are meeting in the Gabonese capital Libreville to examine benefits to be gained from agreements of the World Trade Organisation, WTO.

However, a WTO official said after three days of talks, the delegates had still not agreed on a new trade round requested by the WTO, the United States and the European Union. Some delegates said they do not have the mandate to commit their countries to such a step. The EU has been pressing for a new round of negotiations which would add to existing agreements as well as extend deals to other areas.

African countries make up a third of the WTO membership, but the African continent accounts for less than two percent of global exports. Major WTO talks in Seattle last year were disrupted by protests over terms of world trade, particularly on developing countries.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service