Before joining he WTO, Nepal has some 'ifs' and 'buts' that need clearing up before the meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in September. A meeting in Kathmandu this week emphasised special status to be provided to the least-developed countries, in particular landlocked ones, in terms of their integration into the multilateral trading system. Participants included government officials, civil society, farmers, private sector and academia who issued a 16-point declaration on issues ranging from patent on life forms, food and agriculture, indigenous knowledge and practices, and quota free access to products from least developed countries.