International officials announced a handful of high-tech initiatives Tuesday, including the formation of a team of experts to assist nations in fixing the Year 2000 computer bug.
In addition to the YES Corps volunteer program, the International Y2K Coordination Center also announced the creation of a new Web site to provide information on methods for attacking the Y2K bug and other information.
The center, launched in February under the auspices of the United Nations with funding from the World Bank, also will begin work on a comprehensive, non-commercial international survey to get a better assessment of worldwide Y2K readiness. The survey will be used to help steer resources to those countries and areas that are most in need.
The Corps, which is still seeking volunteers from around the world, will respond to requests from national Y2K coordinators and focus primarily on assisting countries in fixing systems critical to their infrastructure such as telecommunications, utilities, financial systems, medical services and transportation.
"This is the type of problem that requires continuous effort," said Carlos Braga, program manager for the World Bank's Information for Development Program, who sits on the center's steering committee. "The good news is that governments around the world are awakening to the potential implications."
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., praised the formation of the YES Corps, likening it to the Peace Corps in which he served.
"The electronic universe of the YES Corps means many of the volunteers may never see their handiwork, but their contribution is ... important in our technologically dependent world," Dodd said in a statement.
The Corps steering committee will be led by Gary J. Beach, publisher of CIO magazine.
When asked if the initiatives could still have much impact given that the date change is less than eight months away, the center's director, Bruce McConnell, said there is still time to address the problem up until the end of the year.
"The way you address [the problem] will change as the year goes on," said McConnell, the Office of Management and Budget's former chief of information policy and technology. "In fact in some cases, the way of addressing the problem and making sure a country is Y2K ready is to assure there are ways of responding to potential failures, that there are contingency plans and response plans."
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