Remarks by Ambassador Ahmad Kamal, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Chairman of the United Nations Working Group on Informatics
The potential disruption of local and global functions due to Year 2000 [Y2K] computer date problems demands the most urgent and highest priority in business, industry and government at all levels as well as action by Civil Society and the United Nations. Many computers and embedded microprocessors in equipment around the world are expected to malfunction or crash as they tick over from midnight on the 31st of December, 1999 to January 1st, 2000 due to programming which did not provide for use in the next century.
Scope of the Problem: Activities which are vulnerable to widespread or
even global Y2K disruption include financial transactions, infrastructure
services including electricity, heating, transportation, communications,
water as well as food production and distribution, health care, government
safety net payments, emergency services and all major economic activity.
Scale of the Problem: History offers no example of a parallel threat on
a global, national or even local scale. To “wait and see” invites disaster.
Only the long term threats of global warming, oxygen loss, exhaustion of
other basic resources in the oceans and continents as well as the eventual
possibility of an earth-asteroid collision demand worldwide action on a
similarscale. And none of those problems present us with the Y2K date-positive
threat, just months away.
Chain Reaction Disruptions Likely: Experts agree that the current widespread
use of computers for our complex communications and control networks can
result in a cascading, avalanche of breakdowns. This can occur even to
those systems which have been repaired to eliminate any internal Y2K errors.
They, too, can be shut down by electronic contact with outside computers
which have not been completely converted to Year 2000 compliance.
Massive Prevention Effort Essential: Although there has been an acceleration
in media reporting on this issue, including tabloid panic headlines, action
around the world has been gravely inadequate, even in the largest industrial
nations. Only in some large financial institutions and isolated governmental
agencies has adequate funding and staff been put in place. It is essential
that Civil Society leaders make immediate efforts to gain a basic understanding
of this issue. We can act to generate, as well as vigorously support, emergency
action by public and private organizations in their nations and communities.
Emergency Preparations Start Now: More prevention, so-called "remediation"
efforts are essential if society is to function at an acceptable level.
However, it is now clear that it is too late to avoid all disruptions.
Civil Society leaders must not only take responsibility to generate and
support massive remediation efforts but must also work on preparations,
so-called "contingency planning" for many of the various disruptions which
may occur. Both private disaster and relief organizations as well as all
public service agencies must be engaged in this effort.
Preparations at neighborhood and family level will also be necessary.
Denial, Secrecy, and Panic: Petersen, Wheatly, and Kellner-Rogers write
" Even where there is some recognition of the potential disruptions or
chaos that Y2K might create, there's a powerful dynamic of secrecy preventing
us from engaging in these conversations. Leaders don't want to panic their
citizens. Employees don't want to panic their bosses. Corporations don't
want to panic investors. Lawyers don't want their clients to confess to
anything."*
Douglass Carmichael writes, "Those who want to hush the problem are having
three effects. First they are preventing a more rigorous investigation
of the extent of the problem.
Second, they are slowing down the awareness of the urgency of solutions.
Third, they are making almost certain a higher degree of ultimate panic,
in anger, under conditions of shock.
Positive Potential of Crisis: Ralph Szygenda, General Motors' Chief Information
Officer says Y2K is the cruelest trick ever played on us by Technology,
but that it also represents a great opportunity for change.*
Petersen et al add, "What we know about people in crisis is:
1) Shared purpose and meaning brings people together.
2) People display unparalleled levels of creativity and resourcefulness,
3) People want to help others, individual agendas fade immediately,
4) People learn instantly and respond at lightning speed,
5) The more information people get, the smarter their responses,
6) Leadership behaviors (not roles) appear everywhere, as needed, and
7) People experiment constantly to find what works.
Role of the United Nations With Civil Society Stimulation: It would also
be extraordinarily significant if we can help build a United Nations role
as the world clearinghouse and support agency to meet this crisis. A worldwide
strategic mobilization for Y2K contingency priorities similar to the effort
required by World War II must be developed in the weeks ahead.