A meeting of the world’s top commercial powers yielded only a vague pledge of commitment to global trade liberalisation efforts today – a disappointment after business and political leaders called for progress in the World Trade Organisation talks.

United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan urged world leaders to adopt a treaty to liberalise global trade next year which, as a crucial first step, will give exports from the world’s poorest countries duty-free and quota-free access to all markets.