International Volunteer Corps and Web Site Will Promote

Y2K Readiness Washington (ots-PRNewswire) - The international center createdto promote Y2K readiness around the world today launched avolunteer program to provide localities with technical help toensure a smooth transition to the year 2000. The Center alsoestablished an electronic network of over 160 national Y2Kcoordinators and launched an international Y2K Web site. "Y2K highlights how all nations depend on each other foreconomic life. The Center's 'YES' volunteer corps and freeelectronic resource center will help our network of national Y2Kcoordinators address local, regional, and global aspects of Y2K,"said Bruce W. McConnell, director of the International Y2KCooperation Center (IY2KCC). "With the cooperation of nationsaround the world, we're saying 'yes' to Y2K success." McConnell announced the creation of the Y2K Expert Service,the "YES Corps," an international network of Y2K experts who havevolunteered their expertise to help countries in need oftechnical assistance. The Center's new international Y2K Web site offers bestpractices for attacking the Y2K problem, YES Corps information, acalendar of events, and links to other countries' Y2K sites. The Center is also developing a comprehensive, non-commercialsurvey of Y2K readiness. "The Center's actions are a strong start toward realizing thevision of global interdependence essential to addressing Y2K,"said Ambassador Ahmad Kamal of Pakistan, the Chairman of theUnited Nations Working Group on Informatics and of the Center'smultilateral Steering Committee. The IY2KCC was established in February 1999 under UnitedNations auspices with World Bank funding in response to the needto update computer and automated control systems around the worldto smoothly transition to the year 2000. ots Original TextService: International Y2K Cooperation Center Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Lisa Pellegrin of theInternational Y2K Cooperation Center (USA) 202-466-5464, ext. 11;fax, (USA) 202-466-5451; or E-mail: pellegrin@iy2kcc.org Website: http://www.iy2kcc.org

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