GENEVA, Dec 8 (AFP) - World Trade Organisation (WTO) delegates met on Sunday in the hope of resolving differences over access for poor countries to cheap medicines.

Informal talks were held as part of a fresh bid to to break a deadlock on the issue after negotiations broke down late last month,

The group is expected to present a solution to the WTO's general council by the end of next week.

Trade ministers agreed a year ago at a meeting in Qatar that poorer states, faced with health emergencies such as AIDS, could order the domestic production of a patented medicine through a system called compulsory licensing.

But there remains a problem. That agreement did not address the problem of countries that do not have the capacity to manufacture the drugs and gave trade delegates in Geneva until December 31, 2002, to resolve the matter.

Deep divisions still exist between WTO members, over such issues as which countries could benefit from the system for importing generic medicines under compulsory licensing and whether the system would only apply to emergencies arising from AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

Trade ministers, in their declaration in the Qatari capital Doha, referred to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other epidemics.

But many developing countries and health campaigners argue that the scope of the agreement should be widened to other diseases.

On Friday, WTO director general Supachai Panitchpakdi urgently appealed to delegates to use their sense of responsiblity and compassion to reach a solution.

Supachai also warned that failure to meet the December 31 deadline could be to "our collective discredit".

"As it is more of a humanitarian issue rather than pure trade per se we cannot count upon only our trade acumen to decide on the final agreement but must equally rely on our sense of responsiblity, our compassion and the most urgent need of the ultimate consumers/beneficiaries," he said.

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