Embassies and Department of State and Y2K

3-5-99 Cohen testimony on Y2K

• Our first obligation is to understand how Y2K problems might affect US national security and economic interests, as well as the lives of Americans, residing, or traveling, abroad on January 1, 2000. We take these duties very seriously and have begun to put in place a process to gather information on Y2K vulnerabilities in other countries.
• To improve interagency collaboration, Under Secretary Tom Pickering and I will be co-chairing along with Defense Under Secretary Slocombe a Y2K International Interagency Working Group under NSC auspices. This group consists of international affairs agencies who have a stake in helping to resolve Y2K problems, including Treasury, Commerce, Energy, Transportation, and USAID.
• By the end of April our embassies will have identified essential mission activities and have a plan in place for dealing with possible infrastructure failures in the host country.  We have directed consular sections at all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad to focus on Y2K issues affecting private U.S. citizens.
• As the Intelligence Community builds up its all source data on this problem, State Department officers will distill this information to develop agendas for in-depth discussions by Ambassadors with host countries and for policy options for the serious decisions relating to the effect of Y2K readiness on international relations, both political and economic. Finally, we will be looking to the private sector and international organizations - such as those in telecommunications and finance - to address sector-specific problems.

U.S. Department of State Year 2000 Program Management Office

Office of Management and Budget: 8thQuarterlyReport.pdf

• The State Department has determined that more than 95 percent of the telecommunications equipment it operates overseas is compliant or can be operated in a manual mode. In addition, the State Department’s Diplomatic Telecommunications Services Program Office (DTS-PO) expects to provide bandwidth at either current levels, or levels sufficient to support most business operations, at embassies and posts overseas. DTS-PO has determined that 60 of the 66 mission critical components that support its operations are compliant with the remaining six items to be compliant by March 31, 1999. However, roughly five percent of the State Department’s telecommunications needs are met by equipment that is operated by host nations. In many cases, links between State Department locations and other U.S. Government offices overseas rely on host nation services. This reliance on foreign networks has led several agencies, including the Peace Corps and the Agency for International Development, to anticipate that operations in some countries, particularly in more remote locations, may be adversely affected by telecommunications problems. In these instances, international agencies are working together to develop contingency plans or to identify backup systems, such as satellites, to ensure communications are maintained. Their efforts have been slowed by the lack of information regarding the Y2K compliance status of alternative communications services, including new satellite-based mobile communications systems.
• In recent months, USAID’s planning focus has broadened to issues related to host nation infrastructure and safety ensuring continuity of its overseas missions. USAID has performed field assessments in approximately 50 countries. In specific nations, USAID is also identifying critical functions that must be supported and assessing the need for related contingency plans given the nature and level of Y2K risk. The Agency is actively engaged in Year 2000 outreach and awareness training in those nations in which it operates, providing targeted assistance to host nations and other international aid organizations operating in these countries.
• State’s focus is now turning to contingency and continuity of business planning to ensure the readiness of the strategic and national security needs of the United States. State has made good progress in replacing and modernizing its worldwide, internal information and telecommunications infrastructure. Although State has conducted a good assessment of a complex Y2K situation, particularly embedded systems, and is asserting a leadership role in providing support to U.S. operations overseas, the complexity and scope of the international Y2K problem places State and other agencies with a significant overseas presence at risk.

GAO: Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Customs Is Effectively Managing Its Year 2000 Program

• In addition to fixing and testing its systems, Customs must assess and remediate a wide range of telecommunications equipment and non-information technology (non-IT) assets installed in over 900 facilities. This non-IT equipment includes check-writers; scanners; optical readers; security systems, such as badge readers, x-ray systems, cameras, secured doors and safes; fire alarms; heating and air conditioning systems; planes; and automobiles.

GartnerGroup Reports

• Year 2000 International State of Readiness - Lou Marcoccio, U.S. Senate Testimony, March 5 th, 1999

Also Testifying on March 5th:

• Jacquelyn Williams-Bridgers, the Inspector General of the Department of State, testified before the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem. USIS Washington File - Y2K Could Disrupt US Foreign Policy Agenda My office has been actively engaged with the Department of State and our embassies overseas to assist them in meeting the Y2K challenge. Of particular interest to your Committee, my office is also assessing the Y2K readiness of host countries where the United States maintains a diplomatic presence.
• As of February 18, 1999, the Department had received responses from posts in 132 countries. The information from this survey, and from other sources, such as the, World Bank, the United States Information Agency (USIA), and this office, is being analyzed by staff under the direction of the National Intelligence Council (NIC). The NIC is providing its analysis to staff in the State Department's Intelligence and Research Bureau. Based on these analyses the Department will determine whether it needs to issue travel warnings concerning particular countries or develop drawdown or evacuation plans for areas where the Y2K problem may pose a risk to Americans living abroad

Wired News - State Department Lags on Y2K.   The State Department oversees 262 types of computer systems that contain about 35 million lines of code written in 17 programming languages. The department operates a network of information platforms at posts throughout the world, including 250 Wang VS minicomputers, 20,000 personal computers, and several hundred local area networks. The price tag for fixing these systems is US$153 million, according to a May 1998 quarterly report the State Department submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). However, the department is revising that figure up.

Year 2000 Conversion - United States Information Agency

USAID: Year 2000 Information Directory

Koskinen - Worldnet on Year 2000 Problem 10-26-98 - USIA

World Bank Urges International Action to Reduce Y2K Bug Threat to Developing Countries

Commerce Department's International Trade Administration for Y2K Readiness Assessments from Various Countries

• Other Resources

Real World Results -

UN: rodrigoe.htm

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