Still, a binding agreement is far off, as the next round of talks, starting in Baghdad on May 23rd, may show.

ECONOMIST: Iran

Mr Assad, whose forces' killing of 50 protesters overshadowed Mr Annan's announcement, is unlikely to pay more than lip service to any binding calls for him to back off.

ECONOMIST: Syria and the UN

Miners use mercury in processes that extract gold from other minerals by binding it to the element before burning it off.

BBC: UN: Rising mercury emissions increase risk to humans

That is partly because the treaty left out big emissions sources such as deforestation (see article), but also because potential participants were put off by the idea of internationally binding commitments.

ECONOMIST: How to get negotiations on the right track for a deal

In the early 1990s, dermatologist Kevin Cooper, then at the University of Michigan, observed that the binding of CD-2 to LFA-3 set off psoriasis' chain reaction.

FORBES: Skin Deep

Now, some may accuse Mr Cable of letting companies off the hook by not insisting on an annual, binding vote.

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