So, that's it, the negotiations have ended, a deal is on the table, and I'm on the airport in Tokyo on my way back to New York. It has certainly been a couple of intense weeks, and there is just so much to digest.

First of all, the deal on the table is very weak, and no one is particularly happy about it. However, all the negotiators are extremely happy that they were able to reach an agreement at all, thereby not further weakening the already shaky position of the WTO.

Civil society is not happy about the deal. They are claiming developed countries have only given up a little in form of cutting export subsidies, while developing countries have had to give up a lot in form of opening up their public services (such as water and education) to foreign investment and privatization.

Outside yesterday there was another protest march against the WTO. 900 protesters (most of them Korean farmers) had been arrested in the early morning, so they were not able to participate. The demonstration was peaceful, and it was another powerful display of international solidarity, with more than 5,000 participants.

The negotiations will go on until April next year, when the new deadline for reaching a full deal has been set. It remains to see whether this deadline can be kept (the WTO hasn't been too good with deadlines so far), but it is important for civil society to keep monitoring the situation, even though it will disappear from the public attention.

I will write more about my thoughts on youth participation in the WTO once I get some distance to it all.