The troubled global trade round is hanging in the balance as ministers and officials of the 153-member World Trade Organisation (WTO) gather in Geneva Wednesday for the final day of talks aimed at reviewing the WTO's work.

The WTO's 7th ministerial conference has been dominated by calls from ministers for the Geneva-based organisation's members to kick-start long-running negotiations on the trade round so as to meet next year's deadline for clinching a deal to liberalise world markets.