"We want to see developing countries be able to have access to closed markets in developed worlds," said Bryce Corbett, ICC Director of Communications. Corbett said the ICC would like to see a reduction in subsidies in the developed world, "because there is no way that developing countries are able to play their strengths with their exports because they are strained by such subsidies."

This analysis is derived from an extensive poll, conducted jointly by the ICC and the Munich-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research, that polled more than 520 business executives and economists from 77 countries. The results of the study identified the two biggest threats to the multilateral trading syste: a world economic slowdown and the failure of politicians and opinion leaders to understand the benefits stemming from multilateral trade liberalization.

"The results reinforced what companies have been telling us for a long time, namely that it is extremely important that there is a new round in Doha," said Corbett.

It is pretty much well recognized that the biggest stumbling blocks at Doha are going to be issues like the TRIPS agreement and getting the European Union and Japan to move on agriculture. But Corbett said that the ICC has been working closely with the WTO and has "a low level confidence that the document that they produced to start negotiating with is sufficient enough to build on."

The study has been well received by delegates at the 4th Ministerial Conference. Corbett said that many delegates are even using the poll in their intergovernmental negotiations. "They are taking the poll and saying 'look, this is what the business community is telling us they want, and this is why we think it is really important that a new round takes place,'" he said.

While the ICC is not that well represented here in Doha, with only a few members present, their influence was strong during the negotiation process in Geneva. The ICC is one of a few organizations that has high level consultancy status with the WTO. What this boils down to is that "WTO ambassadors, particularly the ones in Geneva will meet with ICC representatives periodically during the time that they are preparing for the WTO meeting to gauge what it is that businesses from all around the world consider to be important," said Corbett. So essentially Doha is for the ministers and the governments, and much of the lobbying was done beforehand.