Former US President Jimmy Carter will address a special joint session of Parliament today.

The ex-Democratic leader of America is expected to highlight the launch of a Bermuda branch of a foundation aimed at providing high-quality housing for lower-income families.

Mr. Carter's address is expected to be the main business of the day, with only a motion from Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb on the new standards for electronic transactions up for debate.

The media have been given special permission to have cameras inside the chamber when Mr. Carter addresses MPs and Senators.

The standards -- part of Bermuda's drive to become an e-commerce hub -- aim to clamp down on the risk of pornography and other crime using the World Wide Web.

The standards insist that service providers know their customers to avoid potential for assisting illegality and to "know their own business'' -- to protect firms from accidentally breaching the law on electronic records or information.

The standards also contain rules on fair advertising and treatment of customers -- with disputes to be settled using already-established methods.

The standards also rules that any "intermediary or e-commerce service provider'' who finds wrong-doing in partners to either remedy the problem or end the relationship.

The Telecommunications Minister is also given the power to issue warnings, enforce compliance -- or recommend prosecution.

And providers will also have to guarantee that they will not send unsolicited bulk mail to people.

Privacy rules to protect personal information or business records will also be introduced -- unless the customer consents or it is required by law.