The Meetings of the 17th Technical Working Group and the 2nd Legal Working Group of the Basel Convention on the Control of the Transboundary Movement of Dangerous Wastes and Their Disposal (hereinafter as the Basel Convention) were held in Geneva, Switzerland from October 9 to 13, 2000. Over 80 delegates of the contracting states including China attended the meetings. The US and other 4 non-contracting states, WTO, UNEP and some other international organizations, Green Peace, International Reclaim Bureau and other NGOs attended as observers. The meeting of the Technology Working Group, presided over by its Chairman Mr. Jawed Ali Khan of Pakistan, discussed the adjustment of wastes Catalogue A (wastes which should be put under strict control for transboundary movement) and Catalogue B (wastes which could be traded freely), guidance of environmental sound technologies, the dangerous characteristics of wastes and the relations between the Basel Convention and the legal document under negotiation on persistent organic pollutants. The meeting of the Legal Working Group, presided over by its Chairman, Madame Mariann Karcgn of Hungary, discussed the supervision of the fulfillment of the obligations of the convention, the prevention and monitoring of illegal transboundary movement, the guidance elements for bilateral, multilateral and regional agreements and the dispute settlement mechanism of the Basel Convention.

During the meetings, the tendency of the developed countries to weaken the convention became obvious. On the one hand, they requested to move some wastes from Catalogue A to Catalogue B to reduce the types of controlled wastes. On the other hand, they took different attitudes towards Draft Amendment III/1 (It stipulates that the developed countries are prohibited to export to the developing countries the wastes listed in Catalogue A. It has not yet taken effect.) and the guidance elements for bilateral, multilateral and regional agreements. As they delayed the endorsement of the draft amendment, they were engrossed in the quick adoption of the guidance elements for the bilateral, multilateral and regional agreements as the convention stipulates that between the contracting parties and non-contracting states no transboundary movement of wastes could be made but this is excluded once bilateral, multilateral and regional agreements are signed. This tendency of the developed countries to weaken the convention was resolutely boycotted by the developing countries.