World Trade Organisation nations tacitly endorsed on Thursday the suspension of the Doha Round talks on lowering barriers to global commerce, diplomats and trade officials said.
The ruling General Council of the 149-nation WTO "took note" of a report by director general Pascal Lamy, in which he reaffirmed his recommendation, made on Monday, to freeze the faltering negotiations, the sources said.
Lamy's decision to suspend the talks followed the acrimonious collapse of a meeting of six leading trading powers, which sent the WTO's five-year search for a multilateral free trade deal toppling towards total failure.
Lamy subsequently got an informal green light at a meeting of ambassadors representing the 149 WTO nations.
Under WTO rules, however, the ambassadors were required to reconvene for an official General Council session to rubber stamp the decision.
