Hilary Benn has called on all governments to show flexibility in order to relaunch stalled talks in promoting international trade.

The general council of the World Trade Organisation faces a July 30 deadline for backing a new package of framework agreements on the scope of the Doha Development Agenda.

Amid warnings that talks could collapse if no agreement is reached next week, the UK's international development secretary indicated that all 147 WTO member governments had a part to play in reaching consensus.

Britain is backing a deal for two key reasons: a belief that free trade will help UK companies expand and because research has suggested that opening up Western markets to third world products could dramatically reduce global poverty.

"All WTO members will need to show flexibility if we are to build the necessary consensus we hoped to have achieved in Cancun," Benn told a conference hosted by the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

"But it is the richest WTO members that need to make the greatest movement in the negotiations.

"If talks collapse next week, the main losers will be those the current round was designed to assist – developing countries and their citizens."

Benn warned that poorer countries could lose faith in a rules-based multilateral system if there is no agreement.

"We risk withdrawing into bilateralism and weakening the rules-based multilateral system – from which all stand to gain: rich and poor," said the Cabinet minister.

"We risk undermining global security by not tackling inequities in our global order."

He also warned that, with forthcoming US elections and the change in the European Commission later this year, immediate movement is needed to produce results.