Speaking to reporters at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum's trade ministers meeting here, Supachai Panitchpakdi said the international community should make efforts to conclude the long-delayed accord by 2006.

"I'm expecting a clear sign of direction from the ministers here," he said, adding that he was attending the APEC forum to get "political guidance" from the ministers on hand.

"At the moment, I'm concerned that we don't have much time left," he said.

Discussions on commerce in services and industrial goods are lagging behind talks on farm trade.

Supachai said he was trying to help facilitate substantial progress before the end of July.

"I am trying to reach a July package so people coming back from summer vacation will be able to continue on with negotiations leading up to the Hong Kong talks," he said.

Member states earlier this year set themselves an intermediate negotiating target of July.

By the end of that month, they aim to have an idea of the shape of the wide-ranging accord that would be put on the table at a ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December.

The WTO head said it would be most desirable if progress can be made in all five areas covered at the DDA talks -- agriculture, services, non-agriculture market access, rules and development issues.

However, he said, if uniform progress could not be achieved, the WTO would have to accept and build on some gains in certain areas and try to achieve agreements in others beyond the set date.

Members launched the Doha Round of trade talks in the Qatari capital in 2001, aiming to break down more tariffs and other barriers to commerce and to try to use trade to give developing countries a boost.