U.N. Approves Year 2000 Warning
Friday, June 26, 1998; 5:01 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United Nations urged member countries Friday to cooperate in solving the Year 2000 computer problem and asked each to consider appointing a national coordinator to fix the software glitch.
The Clinton administration, in a statement issued in Washington, called the problem ''a global challenge that highlights the growing importance of information technology in the daily exchanges between countries.''
The U.N. resolution asks member nations to forge global alliances to solve the problem, and for public and private organizations to share their experiences in working on it.
The Year 2000 problem will cause many computers that recognize only the last two digits of a year to fail or malfunction, because they will be unable to distinguish Jan. 1, 2000, from the same day a full century earlier.
''This is an international problem that has implications for every nation,'' said Richard Sklar, a U.S. official at the United Nations. He warned that countries that fail to act ''risk serious disruptions to critical business and government functions. ... There truly is no time to waste.''
John Koskinen, chairman of President Clinton's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, noted that the failure of one nation's computer systems could have a cascading effect.
''It is crucial that all nations work to reduce the risk of system failures in key areas such as telecommunications, banking and transportation, where failures in one country could significantly affect the world community,'' he said.
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Regards,
Ron |
