I do not derive much comfort from these statements because in most cases operating systems and the software applications running on them count internally with a conventional date system that may not be Y2K-compliant. These systems typically also need to connect and interact with other systems that use conventional dates, so these interfaces must be tested for Y2K-compliance. More broadly, mere assertions that computer applications are unaffected cannot be seen as a substitute for the rigorous  1  See Testimony of Governor Edward W. Kelley, Jr. Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate. April 28, 1998. BIS Review 56/1998  -2-  assessment, remediation, and testing efforts that should be undertaken by financial market participants worldwide. The increasing extent of cross-border, financial-market activity has been much remarked on in recent years. Perhaps less well known is the fact that this activity is dependent on a large, geographically diverse, and highly computer-intensive global infrastructure for each of the key phases of this activity -- from trade execution through to payment and settlement. As an example, consider the daily financial market activities of a hypothetical US-based mutual fund holding stocks and bonds in a number of foreign jurisdictions. Such a mutual fund would likely execute trades via relationships with a set of securities dealers, who themselves might make use of other securities brokers and dealers, including some outside the United States. The operational integrity of the major securities dealers in each national securities market is critical to the smooth functioning of those markets.

Each of us will help in coordinating regional Y2K forums or conferences and will publicly promote the goals of the Joint Year 2000 Council in speeches and on conference programs. The Joint Year 2000 Council will also maintain extensive world-wide-web pages that can be accessed freely over the Internet.3 These pages are being maintained through the support the Council has received from the Bank for International Settlements, in particular from the General Manager, Andrew Crockett. These web pages will maintain current information on the activities of the Joint Year 2000 Council. The most extensive aspect of the Council’s web site will be a series of country pages, one for each country in the world. For each country, the page will contain contact information for government entities (including national coordinators), financial industry supervisors and regulators (including central banks, banking supervisors, insurance supervisors, and securities regulators), financial industry associations, payment, settlement and trading systems, chambers of commerce, and major utility associations or supervisors. For each of these organizations, a name, address, phone number, fax number, electronic mail and web site address will be provided. Other relevant information on an organization’s Y2K preparations may also be included, for example, whether it has a dedicated Y2K contact or has taken specific action with respect to the Y2K problem. The motivation for developing these country pages is to increase awareness of the work that is being done to address the Y2K problem and to enable market participants to easily find out more information about the state of preparations worldwide.