Tribune editorial staff

Developing countries delivered a strong message Sunday. Their wants and wishes on trade will be heard, even if it means a collapse in a key session of World Trade Organization talks.

Twenty-one developing nations walked out of the WTO talks in Cancun, Mexico, after rich and poor nations fought over farm reform. This led Chairperson Luis Ernesto Derbez to conclude five days of negotiations among the WTO's 146 members.

The poor, agriculture-dependent nations claim they cannot compete, and global trade appears to be at risk again.

Rich nations, meanwhile, do not appear ready to part with subsidies.

The international aid agency, OXFAM, blames the United States and the European Union for the failure of the WTO talks in Cancun, saying, "The two agricultural superpowers refused to concede any ground to developing countries on agriculture."

The E.U. and U.S. blamed the developing countries, saying their delegations did not bring any proposals, but only indulged in rhetoric. However, the developing countries hit back at the rich nations, accusing a lack of concern for development issues of third-world countries.

No matter who is to blame, the collapse of the Cancun WTO talks is a severe setback to both poor and rich nations, but particularly to those

nations who are unable to flex their muscles. If diplomats in the WTO's Geneva headquarters cannot make progress toward the goal of demolished trade barriers in another two years, unfortunately, rich nations, such as the United States, are going to come out of these sessions looking like bullies.

We hope that trade negotiators from both rich and poor nations take the time between now and when global trade talks resume in December to cool off and find ways to help make the next round of talks a success. Finding accord among 146 nations is never going to be easy, but if representatives negotiate with an open mind, a compromise is possible.

They will, however, have to show more willingness to negotiate than was on display at the Cancun talks.