General Assembly Session 54 meeting 79

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Lesotho to introduce draft resolution A/54/L.61.

Mr. Mangoaela (Lesotho)

I have the honour to introduce the draft resolution on the global implications of the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers, contained in document A/54/L.61. Although this draft resolution is submitted under the name of Lesotho alone, it has been the subject of wide consultations. After the text had been agreed, some delegations indicated that they still wished to co-sponsor it. I should therefore advise those delegations that wish to do so that there is still time to become a sponsor by signing up with the conference officer.

For a little more than a year now the Economic and Social Council's Working Group on Informatics has worked assiduously to focus the attention of the international community on the dangers posed to the global economy by the date change problem of computers. In this regard, the Working Group organized a global conference of national Y2K coordinators, and more than 120 Member States met at the United Nations in New York on 11 December 1998. At that conference the participants exchanged views about addressing the Y2K problem in their respective Member States and regions, as well as at the international level, and agreed that a major international effort had to be undertaken over the next 12 months to minimize the effects of Y2K. They endorsed the guidelines for addressing the year 2000 problem adopted by the Economic and Social Council and called for their wide dissemination.

The participants also agreed the matter had to be accorded the highest priority by their national Governments in order to ensure the Y2K compliance of critical systems. At the same time, they underlined the responsibility of all levels of government and the private sector to take the necessary steps to ensure that their systems are ready for the year 2000. Finally, they highlighted the fact that, given the interconnections in international networking in the modern world, cooperative international efforts and agreements were essential to address the Y2K problem globally. Accordingly, Governments were encouraged to accord attention to the problem at all appropriate international meetings throughout 1999.

Convinced that the range and complexity of the Y2K problem required immediate and concrete remedial action commensurate with the magnitude of the problem, the assembled Y2K national coordinators advised that consideration should be given to establishing a coordinating mechanism with support staff funded by voluntary contributions. This coordinating mechanism could also encourage the public sharing and disclosure of important information relating to the year 2000. Pursuant to that concern, the International Y2K Cooperation Centre was created in February this year under the auspices of the United Nations, with funding from the World Bank. Its mission is to promote increased strategic cooperation and actions among Governments, civil society and the private sector to minimize adverse Y2K effects on the global economy and society.

The International Y2K Cooperation Centre, under the leadership of the international Y2K Steering Committee, which I have the honour to chair in my capacity as Chairman of the United Nations Working Group on Informatics, set about to coordinate the efforts of Member States in six regions of the world. The evaluation made by the Steering Committee shows that the world is mostly ready for Y2K, across all infrastructure sectors and across all regions. In addition, the international community is prepared to tell the world what is happening during and after the date change, and to respond to Y2K emergencies, should any arise. In a few days, the world's Y2K preparations will be put to the test.

Full readiness for Y2K means having fixed and tested systems and having prepared and tested contingency plans. While not every country or infrastructure strictly meets this standard, most countries' critical infrastructures will function adequately over the date change and in the early part of January.

This general statement masks a variety of specific situations. Industrialized countries are highly dependent on digital systems. In general, these countries have spent a great deal of effort preparing those systems for the date change and have made elaborate contingency plans. Developing country infrastructures are less dependent on digital systems. In general, those countries are less far along in fixing systems. However, they are made less vulnerable to system failures by their everyday use of manual and analog procedures and real-life contingency operations.

Y2K's effects will last beyond early January. Errors in systems that have not been fixed, and unexpected errors in fixed systems, will lead to degraded performance in infrastructures in the weeks following the date change. The extent and duration of this kind of infrastructure degradation will depend on a complex set of factors, including the degree to which Y2K system repairs have been completed and tested, the complexity of the affected systems, the availability of skilled personnel to find and solve the causes of the errors, to what extent other systems depend on data from the error-producing systems, and the infrastructure operator's ability to work around the errors for an extended period. The world will be well into January before a considered assessment can be made of Y2K's medium-term effects.

The International Y2K Cooperation Centre is monitoring progress in nine critical infrastructure sectors: energy, telecommunications, finance, transportation, health and hospitals, government services, customs and immigration, food, and water. With two exceptions, the assessment has revealed that, around the world, these infrastructures will function as well as they normally do in the first days of the new year. However, some infrastructures can be expected to experience degradation in the ensuing weeks.

There are two notable exceptions to this benign short-term prediction, namely health and hospitals, and government services. Particularly in developing countries, and in smaller organizations worldwide, these infrastructures present a real risk that Y2K-caused disruptions could adversely affect public health and safety in the early days of January.

Over the past year, an incredible amount of collaborative work has been done in the International Y2K Cooperation Centre's eight regions, representing 196 countries. Notwithstanding all the Y2K preparations, however, some things will go wrong. In some cases, the problems may be serious enough to exceed the capacity of a country to respond to them. To assist in those kinds of cases, should any arise, a set of international networks is being established.

The responsibility to respond to Y2K-caused problems rests primarily with the local and national infrastructure operators and authorities. Where those organizations encounter Y2K technical problems that they are unable to address, regional sector networks are being established to share common problems and solution approaches. Each of these networks is organized somewhat differently, depending on the sector and the region involved. For example, in the Asia region, Japan has organized energy providers throughout the region into a phone and e-mail contact network. In southern and eastern Africa, a variety of networks are being established. In South America, six critical sectors have a well-established phone network and contact procedures for all 10 countries in the region. The sectors of finance, telecommunications and aviation are being organized on a global basis through public- and private-sector organizations.

Should local and regional resources prove insufficient to address Y2K technical problems, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in cooperation with the G-8 countries and other donor nations, is establishing the capacity to mobilize sector experts to assist national Y2K coordinators in assessing the problem.

These diagnostic teams will be funded with donations from Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries. The United Kingdom has taken leadership in the health sector, working on a global basis to establish both regional and global capacity to respond to requests for Y2K technical assistance. In general, in the period following the date change, the International Y2K Cooperation Centre will receive and catalogue requests for technical assistance from national Governments and will refer the request to its own volunteer teams, to the World Bank or UNDP, or directly to donor countries for response. Should long-term or high-cost technical assistance be needed, the World Bank will assist countries in obtaining the necessary funding, in cooperation with national Governments and international organizations.

Y2K is a unique event in human history. While those who are working on the problem on a daily basis believe that Y2K's adverse effects will be moderate, the world has never experienced an event so ubiquitous and simultaneous. In addition, it is possible that some will try to take advantage of Y2K to create non-Y2K disruptions in digital systems or in society. For these reasons, in an abundance of caution, nations and international institutions are preparing as they would for a serious emergency. The Working Group on Informatics is both hopeful and confident that Y2K will instead prove to be an example of the best traits of human cooperation and hard work in resolving an important problem.

I should like to conclude by pointing out that in the seventh preambular paragraph of the draft resolution before us, the word "continued" was inadvertently omitted. That paragraph should read,

"Emphasizing also that continued coordinated efforts by Governments and private, public and international organizations are required to address the year 2000 problem".

Mr. Khare (India)

Allow me at the outset to thank the Secretary-General for the comprehensive report on the steps taken within the United Nations system to resolve the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers. We would also like to express our appreciation to Mr. Ahmad Kamal, the former Permanent Representative of Pakistan, and to Mr. Percy Mangoaela, the Permanent Representative of Lesotho, who as Chairmen of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics have played a constructive role in facilitating interaction among Member States. India would of course be privileged to be a sponsor of the draft resolution drawn up under the guidance of the representative of Lesotho.

As my delegation outlined last year, the Government of India is committed to averting and controlling the Y2K crisis in critical Government sectors and public and private organizations and services. Serious efforts have been made to sensitize all such entities for strict compliance in a time-bound manner. A high-level action force on managing the impact of the Y2K problem in India was established, with representatives from the Government, industry associations, banks and financial institutions, the defence services, utilities and other public service organizations, the railways and other sectors.

The action force held three meetings and advised each central Government department to set up Y2K action groups for assessing the status of preparedness regarding Y2K problems in that department and any public undertakings or attached offices under its administrative control, and proposed future actions. In the context of the overall Y2K preparedness of the country, the Y2K action force has been closely monitoring the preparedness of critical sectors, such as those of finance -- including banking and insurance -- power generation, the petroleum industry, telecommunications, civil aviation, railways and other surface transport, including ports, and space research, atomic energy and defence.

The Department of Atomic Energy is Y2K-ready. All the organizations functioning under it have also prepared detailed contingency plans, and an emergency control room has been established, which operates around the clock. It will be placed on a higher alert during the transition period to the year 2000.

The Reserve Bank of India has also taken major initiatives to ensure the year 2000 preparedness of banks and financial institutions. All commercial banks have reported the full Y2K compliance of their internal systems. Furthermore, all the non-banking subsidiaries of commercial banks have reported Y2K compliance. Contingency plans drawn up include the maintenance of hard copies of bank accounts, with print-outs to account holders being provided from tomorrow, 15 December; the maintenance of adequate cash supplies; and the establishment of event-management centres.

The civil aviation sector is Y2K-ready, including with regard to navigation and landing systems, monopulse secondary radars at all eight international airports and a new cargo management system at Indira Gandhi International Airport. All meteorological services for aviation have been assessed, tested and made Y2K-compliant by the Indian meteorological department. Aviation fuel service providers have been assessed and confirmed free from any Y2K problems. All airlines -- Air India, Indian Airlines and other private airlines -- have completed procedures for the assessment, testing and necessary modification of their hardware and software systems. The aircraft and airborne certificates from vendors and manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus Industries have been obtained, confirming Y2K readiness.

Passenger facilities such as reservations, check-in and boarding equipment, aerobridges and escalators have been attended to and made Y2K-compliant. The Airports Authority of India has also drawn up contingency plans for international as well as domestic flights in Indian air space to deal with any Y2K-related problems which may arise. Contingency plans for domestic and international air traffic routes and air traffic procedures, including increased longitudinal separation between flights, have been finalized in coordination with the International Civil Aviation Organization's Asia and Pacific regional office. The Airports Authority of India will also set up national Y2K air traffic management centres from 1330 hours Indian Standard Time on 31 December 1999.

Of the 23 stock exchanges operating in the securities market, 16 Y2K-compliant exchanges have more than 95 per cent of daily turnover. The remaining seven, which are non-compliant, contribute only 5 per cent to the turnover and are being constantly monitored. The Reserve Bank of India has already worked out a detailed contingency plan and has directed these institutions to develop their own contingency plans to assure the continuity of business as an integral part of the institution's year 2000 preparedness.

The telecommunications sector, too, is Y2K-compliant. Control rooms at national, state and telecommunications district level will be set up for high-risk dates. Special operations staff will be positioned to manage any Y2K eventualities. In the railways sector, the highest-priority area is the passenger reservation system. Most of the work related to this system has been completed, and a contingency plan has been worked out. Major ports in India have already taken necessary action and a lot of progress has been achieved. To date, the ports sector does not anticipate any threat on this account. The power sector has been considered the top-priority sector to avoid any cascading effect. The total installed generating capacity in the country is 93,239 megawatts, with an effective capacity of 92,904 megawatts. Only 31,708 megawatts will be influenced by Y2K. The controls of the remaining 61,196 megawatts are of analog character and therefore their operation is not influenced by Y2K.

Relevant utilities in central and state sectors are Y2K-ready, and provisions have been made for control rooms that will function from midnight on 30 December 1999 to 3 January 2000. The petroleum sector, too, is largely in control of its own Y2K programme. It is fully Y2K-compliant, with the sole exception of one digital control system at the gas sweetening plant at Hazira.

Regarding space research, Y2K compliance has been attained for the on-board segment of satellites and launch vehicles, ground stations, the launch complex, central computer facilities, systems supplied to user agencies, laboratory instruments and office automation applications. Indian Space Research Organization global positioning system (GPS) receivers performed normally during GPS roll-over. Contingency plans have been put in place for the transition period should any unforeseen disruptions occur.

In the spirit of transparency and democracy, and since the Y2K problem is as much a management and information problem as a technical one, regular reports on India's Y2K status are freely put out on the Internet. We trust that we are well prepared to meet the Y2K challenge, even though the nature of the problem is such that no one, including us, can be fully sure that no disruptions will occur.

Besides the mission-critical sectors I have mentioned, which have been reviewed intensively, the health sector is also fully prepared to face the Y2K problem. Major referral hospitals have taken care of Y2K problems, and in minor hospitals Y2K is not a serious issue. Water supply and sewerage will not pose any problem. Other economic sectors, such as revenue including excise, customs and direct taxes, chemicals and fertilizers, steel and mines, and the like, are also Y2K-ready.

Mr. Farar (United States)

The United States is pleased to be part of a major international effort to respond to possible Y2K problems. We recognize the importance of global cooperation on this issue. With the rollover a scant 16 days away, there is still work that we all must focus on for now and for after 1 January. The United Nations has an exceptional track record on this issue, dating back to last year, when Ambassador Kamal, former Chairman of the Working Group on Informatics, took a leadership role in bringing together all Member States for the first worldwide meeting of national Y2K coordinators. The progress made since that 11 December 1998 meeting has been carried out in large part through the efforts of the regional coordinators. Bulgaria, Chile, the Gambia, Japan, Mexico, Morocco and the Philippines are to be congratulated for their role in guiding regional action to address the Y2K problem.

Other mechanisms under the rubric of international organizations have contributed in a major way to dealing with this challenge that faces us all. The International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Telecommunication Union and others have proved useful in addressing specific sector-related Y2K problems. The United Nations humanitarian organizations too have made great progress over the past year in preparing for possible Y2K emergencies. Additionally, regional organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the Group of Eight economies, the European Union and the Organization of American States have played key roles in supporting these international efforts. Wherever possible, the United States has sought to join with its regional counterparts to participate in Y2K remediation and response planning activities. By working together, the world has shared the burden of addressing this vexing challenge.

As we stand on the threshold of the date change, the importance of regional cooperation cannot be overstated. Our neighbours will be the first to feel the effects of any Y2K difficulties we may experience and will be the first to notice any problems we may suffer. In responding to these situations, it is neighbours that will be able to respond fastest, by virtue of proximity. Despite the cooperation and the significant information-sharing that have been accomplished to date, there is still important work left to do, including preparing to handle whatever situations may arise after the rollover.

January first has not yet arrived; now is the time for all to focus on last-minute contingency planning to minimize the effects of possible disruptions. It is also the time to continue to forward information to the proper international-sector organizations so that the most current data will be available.

The United States looks forward to continued cooperation with other members of the Assembly to assist other nations, and ourselves, in final preparations. All nations should continue to work within the international and regional mechanisms available to them as we all strive to be as prepared as possible for whatever may occur.

While national endeavours are of prime importance, cross-border assistance efforts help us to recognize the globalized nature of this problem. In addition, it is important for all of us to encourage the private sector to continue its role in the international arena for maintaining the emphasis on capabilities for contingency planning and for pre-positioning responses. The private sector has played an important role in remediation and information-sharing, a role which is so vital to our efforts. The private sector will have a very important role in any recovery efforts that may be necessary in the early part of next year.

As we move closer to the rollover, we need to continue our forward-thinking approach and consider how best to respond to requests for technical assistance should there be severe difficulties. The International Year 2000 Cooperation Centre, created with funding from the World Bank at the request of the participants in the first United Nations meeting last December, has agreed to serve as a coordinating mechanism to ensure that the response to requests for technical assistance is timely and well choreographed. This will minimize duplication of efforts and ensure quick assistance. The United States encourages all Member States to take advantage of the coordinating mechanism that the Centre affords us and to provide regular status reports to it in the format agreed to by most Y2K coordinators.

Efficient, timely and well-organized responses to requests for technical assistance will not only help to showcase the good work we have done up to this point, but, more important, will also limit the disruptions that might be felt worldwide.

The same is true for humanitarian assistance. We must be able to respond to any needs that may arise as a result of Y2K. Through already-established mechanisms, the United Nations and all members of the international community must be committed to providing appropriate assistance if and when it is required. In addition, we must be sure that humanitarian agencies are aware of credible reports of Y2K-related emergencies. As with any humanitarian emergency, and in keeping with General Assembly resolution 51/194 of 10 February 1997, the United States urges all Governments, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations to share reports on Y2K emergencies with Reliefweb, the premier disaster-reporting Web site of the United Nations. In similar fashion, all humanitarian agencies should monitor the site as well; it can be found at wwwnotes.reliefweb.int.

We as a world body have done a lot of work regarding this enormous issue. It might prove useful for us to think about what this means for the future: that is, after Y2K. The close cooperation and the coordination efforts that have occurred during the past two years might well translate into successful endeavours for dealing with the information technology challenges of the future, particularly in developing countries and for combatting threats to information security, as well as for promoting electronic commerce. We have seen the benefits of working well together, and it would be a testament to the good work we have done on Y2K if we were to take this momentum and drive this endeavour, focusing it on the new information technology issues that are now emerging worldwide.

I want to state strongly the commitment of the United States to dealing with Y2K as part of the international community. We would like to praise Ambassador Percy Metsing Mangoaela for following Ambassador Kamal in his efforts to focus activity on the first challenge of the next century. We strongly encourage all countries to continue their open policies of information, sharing their efforts to remediate any problems and their thoughtfulness in preparing for contingencies. We are fully committed to the draft resolution now before the Assembly, and we look forward to continued cooperation on Y2K with all members of this body.

Mr. Forner-Rouira (Andorra)

In the field of computer technology Andorra has made its contribution to the United Nations since our membership in 1993. The Permanent Mission of the Principality of Andorra proposed to the Group of Western European and other States in 1994 to study the possibility of the computerization of the Group's archives. As a result of his mandate, renewed in 1996, the President of the Government of Andorra, Mr. Marc Forné Molné came to the United Nations in May 1998 to present a programme, carried out by our National Centre for Informatics, in which the Group's archives were finally computerized.

President Forné has offered on several occasions the assistance of our country to the other regional groups and the different institutions of the United Nations that might want to share our experience in that field. Every effort has been made to make this system compliant. In Andorra, the same National Centre of Informatics has already verified that the 40,000 different programmes used by the Government are also Y2K compliant. For almost three years, the Government has striven to arrive to the year 2000 with almost 100 per cent of the systems fixed.

Last year the General Assembly adopted resolution 53/86, in which it requested the Secretary-General to take the necessary steps to ensure that all computers within the United Nations system be Y2K compliant. We have read the report of the Secretary-General very carefully, and we congratulate the Secretariat for all the steps and initiatives taken to that end. We encourage it to make an additional effort to solve the 21 per cent of applications that still need correction. We would like to underline the excellent work realized during two years by the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics, led by its Chairman, Ambassador Kamal, especially in convening a meeting where representatives of more than 120 countries could share their worries and national experiences with regard to the year 2000 compliance.

The first day of January 2000 is around the corner. In order to evaluate the possible implications of the Y2K problem, one should consider the region of the world that it is going to affect. On the one hand, in developing countries -- which have fewer computers per square mile, mainly because of the lack of economic resources -- almost 50 per cent of the population has never seen or used a computer in their entire life. These countries seem safer from Y2K consequences for the simple reason that their way of living does not depend vitally on technology, but precisely the lack of it continues to make their lives less comfortable. On the other hand, in developed countries, with more computers per square mile, a five-year old child already spends a lot of his or her time in front of a screen playing video games. It seems less likely that these countries will be affected by the Y2K problem, since their Governments have already been spending large amounts to be prepared for the eventuality. However, in these countries, where every little aspect of our lives is linked to a machine, the most insignificant problem could make us spend hours at the airport, or in the worst case in the hospital, and it could also affect our credit cards, thus reducing our capability to acquire primary goods.

This paradox deserves a deeper consideration. This century, humanity has spent a lot of energy and funds in the search of new technologies that could improve its well-being. However, and precisely because of this thrust, the gap between the poorest and the richest is widening, and we are becoming less sensitive to the sufferings that afflict other people around the planet. Perhaps we have overlooked or misunderstood the issue, and we should have been sharing our improvements in technology with those that do not have any before taking another step.

As President Forné already stated, the world of the new millennium will be: "a world which will create a new group of marginalized people: those who are geographically challenged, who have less economic resources or who do not have the cultural capacity to access information and to transform it into useful skills". To prevent that we not only have to promote education but also to share among ourselves what we have learnt so far. The transfer of information is a critical issue for the equilibrium of inequalities.

Y2K is not the end of the world; it is just the end of a millennium. We must shake hands with every single person around the globe and use the coming 1 January as the starting point to cooperate with each other.

Mr. Stuart (Australia)

My delegation is pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the item concerning global implications of the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers, and we welcome the report of the Secretary-General. We wish to thank Ambassador Mangoaela and Ambassador Kamal for their efforts in focusing attention in the United Nations system on the year 2000 problem.

Australia commends the United Nations proactive facilitation of international cooperation towards addressing Y2K. In particular, recognition should be given to the contribution of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics, the International Y2K Cooperation Center headed by Mr. Bruce McConnell and the work of United Nations specialized agencies, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Australia has strongly supported resolution 53/86 on international cooperation on the Y2K problem. We participated in both meetings of the National Y2K Coordinators convened by the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics and the Second Global Y2K Summit in Manila in March 1999. We have been working closely with regional partners, including at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Y2K symposium in Singapore in April 1999 and the Asian Regional Y2K Coordinators meeting in Tokyo in September of this year. Throughout this year, Australian ministers have regularly discussed Y2K with a wide range of overseas counterparts. In addition, the Australian Government and industry have been working closely with regional partners on Y2K cross-border infrastructure areas, particularly aviation, shipping, power and telecommunications. Australia has been pleased to provide assistance to Pacific Forum island countries, focusing on identifying and helping to address strategic sectoral Y2K problems.

Within Australia, the cooperative effort between government and industry has enabled us to implement comprehensive Y2K preparations. These have been included in examples of the world's best practice.

Japan, as a regional coordinator, has been discussing with the International Y2K Cooperation Centre and with partners in the Asia-Pacific region the scope for assisting, through the United Nations Development Programme, developing countries in our region to address possible Y2K failures after the date change. Australia would be pleased to examine its capacity to provide technical assistance for that purpose. The type of assistance required would clearly depend very much on the scope and nature of any problems identified. Australia contributed to a recent APEC initiative to identify government and private sector contacts in areas of key cross-border sectoral importance. These contacts could be used to identify the scope to provide technical expertise.

Australia will be one of the first countries to enter the year 2000. As a result, we are conscious that there has been a degree of international interest in our experience. Information on Australia's progress through the year 2000 date change will be collected, coordinated and disseminated from a Year 2000 National Coordination Centre which will operate from 31 December 1999 to 7 January 2000. The Year 2000 National Coordination Centre, in Canberra, will be part of a network of Government coordination centres being established in each capital city.

A key role of the Coordination Centre in the first 24 hours of its operation will be to prepare national summary bulletins based on information obtained from state and territory governments and from the private sector. On 1 January these national bulletins will report Y2K status at 4 a.m., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The reports issued by the centre will be posted on the web site www.y2kaustralia.gov.au, and will be provided to the global status watch Web page of the International Y2K Cooperation Center.

Australia has been pleased to actively support the United Nations efforts to encourage international attention to the cross-border impacts of Y2K, to facilitate direct sector-to-sector contacts and to urge all Governments to widely share with the public detailed information on their country's Y2K readiness. We have supported the United Nations efforts to work with regional partners to intensify cooperative efforts on contingency planning and to cooperate on appropriate mechanisms for early advice to the public on Y2K problems as they occur during the Y2K roll-over period.

The role of the United Nations in facilitating international cooperation on these issues clearly extends into the year 2000. There has been significant progress, particularly in the last six months, in international preparedness, including contingency planning. Just what the impact of the international problems will be remains very difficult to assess. Their duration and gravity will depend on the level of remediation and the integrity of testing, on the nature and effectiveness of contingency plans that have been developed, and on the capability of key service sectors in individual countries to resume operations quickly. In many countries the impact of Y2K problems may be limited or negligible, but in some others it may be more severe.

Although some Y2K problems are expected to be manifest early in the year 2000, many international experts expect that the incidence and impact of these problems may well extend into the first half of next year. Hence it will be important for Member States to continue to work together to provide to the public early advice on Y2K problems as they occur during the roll-over period. It will also be important for Member States to continue their close cooperation in meeting any ongoing challenges in the year 2000.

Mr. Hughes (New Zealand)

At 5.45 on the morning of 1 January 2000, the sun will begin to rise over the east coast of New Zealand. New Zealand's easternmost city, Gisborne, will be literally the first city to see the light of the new millennium. New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and 18 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, which prevails in New York. The transition to the new millennium is the object of much positive anticipation around the world. It is ironic, however, that the new age also brings with it a threat of our own making: the "millennium bug".

The worldwide battle against that bug graphically demonstrates that dependence on technology is not just a developed-world phenomenon. All countries have grappled with the year 2000 problem, and all have realized just how much a part of life the tiny computer chip now is.

The United Nations has taken a lead, both in raising awareness of the problem and in helping nations address it. The Secretary-General's report in document A/54/525 summarizes steps taken by the Organization itself, and in conjunction with Member States. My delegation wishes to commend the Working Group on Informatics, particularly Ambassadors Mangoaela and Kamal for their work in drafting best-practice guidelines for assessing and solving year 2000 problems and for establishing contingency plans at the national and international level.

New Zealand's own planning has had a similar focus. A national committee, the Y2K Readiness Commission, has the primary role in coordinating awareness-raising activities. A recent survey indicated that 99 per cent of the public are aware of Y2K, and two thirds of them have already made plans to deal with the sort of localized, short-term problems that may occur.

Business, too, is well prepared, with 87 per cent confident they have done everything necessary to maintain essential services for customers. Equally importantly, the providers of services such as electricity and telecommunications are confident of their preparations and are expecting minor disruptions at most.

The Readiness Commission has also played a key role in ensuring sharing of information and experience between sectors and with the Government. Independent audits of Government departments have been conducted throughout 1999, and ministers have made public a "scorecard" of results to demonstrate the high degree of readiness of central and local agencies.

New Zealand has also taken a regional approach to the year 2000 issue. We have worked with our Asia/Pacific neighbours on joint approaches to alleviate the risks faced. It was in Auckland that Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders expressed their commitment to contingency planning as a matter of the highest priority, especially in relation to cross-border issues and critical sectors such as financial services, telecommunications and power distribution. New Zealand fully endorsed that approach.

A number of donors have already been active in offering advice and assistance to the small and vulnerable South Pacific island States in respect to Y2K issues. Should our help be sought to deal with urgent problems arising in the new year, we stand ready to assist within the resources and capacity available under our official development assistance programme.

New Zealand will be a focus of world attention in the early hours of the year 2000, not just because the international media will be letting millions share the first sunrise with us, but also because we can provide insight into the possible effects of the "millennium bug" on a computer-reliant infrastructure, and possibly give others a few vital hours of notice of what they might expect.

We have put in place detailed procedures to monitor the impact of Y2K on New Zealand at the millennium. The Ministry for Emergency Management is undertaking a national incident-monitoring function. It will gather information through a national incident monitoring system and forward this to our national Y2K Status Centre in Wellington. That Centre has responsibility to ensure that during and beyond the transition to the new century the Y2K status of New Zealand is regularly assessed and that the status is communicated to the Government, key sectors of the economy, the news media and the New Zealand public.

From 10 p.m. on 31 December through 6 p.m. on 2 January, the Y2K Readiness Commission and the Ministry for Emergency Management will operate joint Internet web sites containing regularly updated status reports which will include an overall comment on New Zealand's performance to date; the Y2K status of key sectors of the economy; whether any interruptions to essential services are insignificant, significant or severe; and estimated recovery time. The web site addresses are set out in the copy of this statement now being distributed. We have circulated to all missions details of these procedures in our note of 9 November 1999.

Similar status information will also be communicated to the International Y2K Cooperation Center in Washington, D.C., to which the United States delegate referred earlier this morning. The information provided to the Center can also be accessed by other Governments and the world media. The United Nations and the United States, which is hosting this Center, are to be congratulated for their positive response when the first United Nations meeting of national Y2K coordinators identified the need for such a global coordination point. The Center will play a critical role in providing Member States with an overview of the world's response to the "millennium bug".

The draft resolution before us today stresses the need for global cooperation to ensure a timely and effective response to the year 2000 challenge. This was not a challenge foreseen by the founders of this Organization, but it is a truly global challenge which the United Nations system is well placed to address through the range of measures set out in the Secretary-General's report: sharing information, knowledge and skills; engaging the private sector and civil society; applying regional mechanisms; and being prepared to respond to any humanitarian emergencies that could result from serious year 2000 failures.

New Zealand looks forward to joining the consensus on this draft resolution and to working with other Member States to meet the year 2000 challenge.

Mr. Tchoulkov (Russia)

The Russian delegation is of the opinion that the

Secretary-General's report on steps taken within the United Nations system and with Member States to resolve the year 2000 date conversion of computers deserves high appreciation. It is with great interest that we have studied the very detailed information on the degree of readiness of the various parts of the United Nations system, its network of field offices throughout the world and the international organizations.

It is difficult to overestimate the role played by the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics of the Economic and Social Council in raising countries' level of awareness of the year 2000 problem.

The unprecedented meetings of national coordinators on the year 2000 problem held over the past two years have enabled experts from more than 150 countries to have a direct dialogue, to exchange experience and to discuss joint actions in preparing for the computer millennium transition.

We highly appreciate the activities of the technical subgroup of the Working Group, headed by the former Permanent Representative of Pakistan, Mr. Kamal, and the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Mr. Mangoaela, which ensured the implementation of a number of measures to improve the access of Members States to United Nations documentation and the databases of its divisions. One important achievement of the subgroup was the opportunity provided to the majority of permanent missions in New York to enjoy free access to the Internet.

The solution of the problem of possible computer failure at the transition to the new millennium is deemed a priority State task in the Russian Federation. To prepare computer networks in Russia for the change of millennium, the appropriate decrees of the President and Government have been issued. Work is proceeding in accordance with the national plan of action to address the year 2000 problem in the Russian Federation, developed by a government commission for the year 2000 problem. To implement these tasks, a vertical structure has been set up. Federal, local and municipal authorities have formed commissions and working groups to address this problem. They are also working at the sectoral and inter-sectoral levels at enterprises and sites. A network of such bodies was established first in the most vulnerable industrial areas, such as oil and energy, transport, finance, social services, telecommunications and defence.

The comprehensive methodological basis for addressing the year 2000 problem was developed and brought to the attention of managers and technical staff. In order to raise public awareness and prepare the population for the transition of computer systems to the new millennium, a series of television and radio programmes has been broadcast and a number of press publications have been prepared. In our country, all possible efforts are being made to avoid or to minimize the probability of any negative consequences of the transition.

We are aware of the concern of the international community regarding the year 2000 problem in the sphere of nuclear energy, in which, for well-known reasons, Russia is as interested as all others. Intensive work is being undertaken in our country in this area. The Kola nuclear power station may serve as an example: its readiness for the year 2000 has been assessed and acknowledged by the specialized commissions, with the participation of United States experts in September 1999 and of representatives of the World Association of Nuclear Operators in November 1999, who offered positive appraisals.

The preparation process for the new millennium in the fuel and energy complex as a whole is being implemented successfully in Russia and we are ready to continue to meet our international obligations on gas and oil deliveries. In this field, we are taking such measures as the fine-tuning of storage circuits, emergency testing and the coordination of the functioning of the pipeline systems with the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States and Eastern Europe.

We are also aware of the concern of the international community over the military aspect of the year 2000 problem. We have undertaken a number of steps in this direction with our partners at the multilateral and bilateral levels. In particular, we have agreed with the United States to the establishment of a channel of direct communication between the centres for the maintenance of strategic stability in connection with the year 2000 problem. The ministers of defence of our two countries signed in September a joint statement on the establishment of the Center for Y2K Strategic Stability in Colorado Springs. Consultations with the United Kingdom on military aspects of the solution to the problem of the transition of computer systems to the new millennium were held in Russia in October.

Russia also participated in the discussion of the year 2000 problem at G-8 summits in Birmingham in 1998 and Cologne in 1999 and in a number of meetings of G-8 experts on this issue in Germany and Italy this year, at which the parties exchanged information and opinions on the state of progress in addressing this problem and overcoming the negative consequences of possible computer failure. Thus, we can declare with confidence that Russia is generally ready for the transition of information systems to the new millennium and to overcome its possible negative consequences.

In conclusion, the Russian delegation is ready to support the draft resolution contained in document A/54/L.61.

Mr. Jacob (Israel)

It was long hoped that the technological and telecommunications revolution would bridge the gaps that divide us. We had hoped the year 2,000 would open the door to an interconnected world, eroding the old lines between geographic haves and have-nots.

But now, as we look on the information emanating from sources across the globe and from the global meetings of national year 2000 coordinators, an unfortunate message emerges from the year 2000 bug. It threatens technologically to widen the very fissures we had hoped to close. It further distances nations from one another. At this point, if reports are correct, we can assume that at least some of the greater dangers of the year 2000 bug -- threatening loss of industry and even human life -- will simply not be solved when the clock strikes midnight.

We wish to add our voice to the nations advocating a shift in emphasis at this juncture to focus now on recovery efforts over the first few months of the new year. We welcome the model in the Secretary-General's report on steps taken within the United Nations system and with Member States to resolve the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers, in which there is a focus on mission-critical operations, where there is a risk of crisis.

The new millennium will not be worth celebrating if it heralds disasters in any nation anywhere on the globe. Just as we could not rely entirely on information technology to break down the world's barriers, we dare not rely on its innovations alone to prevent disaster. I repeat: parallel contingency measures must now take primary focus outside the sphere of information technology. Mobile generators, alternative power sources, public awareness campaigns, international coordination -- all these are now as essential as any corrective measures.

An investigation by the Israel Y2K Coordination Committee has looked into which areas, in any national infrastructure, are most likely to be affected and in need of recovery, even with preparation efforts. The warning zones are: electric companies, water resources, transportation of all types and hospital equipment. Failure to place emphasis on these areas could lead to a catastrophe. For these reasons, organs with responsibility for these sectors of national infrastructure should have a central role in the planning process.

From this podium I invite Member States to join us in the coming months in multinational efforts to help one another recover from whatever crises may emerge and to repair any damage. Let us hope that we can celebrate the new year and start the new millennium with confidence, peace of mind and the dawn of a new era in which technology will bridge differences, and not create them.

The President

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. The Assembly shall now take a decision on draft resolution A/54/L.61, as orally revised.

I should like to announce that since the introduction of the draft resolution, the following countries have become sponsors: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Gabon, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Mauritius, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/54/L.61, as orally revised?

The President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 45?