General Assembly

Fifty-second session
Agenda item 95 (c)

52/233. Global implications of the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers

The General Assembly,

Recognizing that the effective operation of Governments, companies and other organizations is threatened by the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers, or "millennium bug",

Underlining the need for effective action to address the problem to be taken well in advance of the inflexible date of 31 December 1999, beyond which important systems might cease to function,

Recognizing the potentially serious impact that the year 2000 problem could have in all countries whose economies are increasingly interdependent,

Emphasizing that the year 2000 problem could affect both computer systems and much electronic control equipment containing embedded chips and internal clocks, with wide-ranging effects on such important areas as power supplies, telecommunications, financial systems, transport, public health, building and factory systems, food supplies, emergency services, the organization of social welfare and utilities,

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

Appreciating the establishment of a trust fund by the World Bank to assist in the efforts to resolve the year 2000 problem and the voluntary contributions made to it by the member States,

Appreciating also the efforts of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Informatics of the Economic and Social Council in raising the level of awareness of the year 2000 problem,

1. Requests all Member States to attach a high priority to raising the level of awareness, both by ensuring that the private sector is fully engaged in addressing the year 2000 problem and by tackling the problem in those systems within their own control, and to consider, inter alia, the appointment of a nationwide coordinator for this purpose;

2. Appeals to all Member States to forge global cooperation to ensure a timely and effective response to the year 2000 challenge;

3. Calls upon Governments, public and private sector organizations and civil society to share locally, regionally and globally their experiences in addressing the year 2000 problem;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to take steps to ensure that all parts of the United Nations system take measures to ensure that their computers and equipment with embedded microprocessors are year 2000 compliant well before the target date by drawing up a plan of action for the United Nations system;

5. Calls upon the Economic and Social Council to prepare at its substantive session of 1998 guidelines on which Member States will be able to draw in addressing the diverse aspects of the year 2000 problem;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the United Nations system closely monitors actual and potential sources of funding to support the efforts of the developing countries and countries with economies in transition to address the year 2000 problem, and to facilitate the dissemination of relevant information on those funding possibilities to the Member States;

7. Also requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session on the steps taken within the United Nations system and with Member States to resolve this problem;

8. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session an item entitled "Global implications of the year 2000 date conversion problem of computers" and to complete its action under that agenda item before the deadline of 31 December 1999.

88th plenary meeting

26 June 1998