Mr Gehrig focuses on special structural characteristics involved in solving the Year 2000 problem for the financial sector in Switzerland Speech by Prof Bruno Gehrig, a member of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, at the Global 2000 Coordinating Group Meeting in Montreux on 30 April 1999. I am most delighted to be your luncheon speaker today and thank you for your invitation. I am sure that Montreux provides you with a highly stimulating environment for today’s Global 2000 meeting. As you are no doubt aware, you are leading the way in tackling the Year 2000 issue. I would like to thank you for your extremely important and valuable commitment, and I am certain that I also speak on behalf of my colleagues from other central banks, bank supervisors and - even more importantly countless customers in the financial industry. On the threshold of the third millennium we are indeed confronted with most complex and - in many regards - unique challenges. In terms of methodology, I believe it is essential to realise that we are dealing with complex network problems which cannot be solved on the basis of the behaviour patterns of market and competition we are all familiar with. In this context, external or third-party effects are in fact so significant that remarkable collective effort is necessary in order to minimise potential damages resulting from malfunctions. This applies both to the preparatory work and the challenge to overcome frictions which - in spite of our best efforts - will be unavoidable.
Ladies and Gentlemen, The topic of this meeting centered on the place of women in governing bodies refers inevitably to the challenges of women contribution to economic activity and more broadly to the issue of gender inequality. In this respect, I think there is no need to argue nor to justify the importance of this issue. It is discussed and debated every now and then in public debates within national and international bodies, not to mention the regular or specific reports devoted to it. This increasingly highlights the stakes involved and, fortunately, the greater awareness about it. It is not only a problem of social exclusion but, as we all know, a considerable economic loss. The available data on the different dimensions of this issue unfortunately show that our region MENA appears to have among the highest levels of gender inequality, if not the highest, in the world. However, I believe that there is a growing awareness about the situation. We have seen in recent years the adoption of policies and initiatives in the region to empower women and strengthen their economic, social and political status. I would like, if I may, to illustrate further on this referring to my home country and the institution I have the honor to lead. Ladies and Gentlemen, Since many years now, Morocco engaged in a process of improving the situation of women, ratifying several international conventions and complying with UN instruments on human rights in general and women rights in particular.