- At-Large - lists.icann.org

Re: [At-Large] [lac-discuss-en] Deadline for Public Comment on IRT Report
by Cheryl Langdon-Orr July 7, 2009

July 7, 2009

It is my plan (which I expect ExCom to endorse at our meeting next week, so we can start activity to formalize ASAP before the ALAC Meeting at the end of this month) to take this important (dare I say landmark) Joint Statement through the same endorsement and Vote process that we did with the various Summit statements... So that it becomes a piece of formal ALAC Policy Advice and then send it to the BOARD as advice from the ALAC which we can do at any point in time but will be useful as they consider the outcomes of the 'roadshow' process re IRT that is about to start... This also means that whilst not altering the delivered Joint Statement text per se, we can add to strengthen and make ALAC At-Large specific points (e.g. add the specific endorsement from ALSes and RALO's etc.,) and any additional comments and notes as appendixes to the Joint work done Ad-Hoc at ICANN 35... I also want specific input from the talent pool IRT WG we put together (*so can STaff ensure this goes out to that list*) as well and will ask that the 'Commons' we set up for these activities, be used for the 'At-Large Comment period' on it so we can get as much individual input as possible (in any language) this said it means RALO's and ALSes need to mobilize to get these additional / supplementary POV's ready to go... I will also write to Robyn/ NCUC formally to let them know what we are doing how we need to do it and that ancillary work to the statement may end up being attached to our final ALAC Advice to the Board... CLO ( who will be away from office for a couple of days so Vanda acts as ALAC Chair) 2009/7/8 Carlton Samuels <carlton.samuels(a)uwimona.edu.jm> > Dear Colleagues: > If only because I find it offensive to reason, I have raised before > now my strong opposition to elements of the IRT Report, especially > this matter of globally-protected marks. The University of the West > Indies ALS has also made a public comment to the consultation. > > I believe it would be instructive and encourage all LACRALO ALS go to > the wiki and endorse this joint ALAC-NCUC statement. > > Kind regards, > Carlton Samuels > The University of the West Indies > > On Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 7:39 AM, Dev Anand Teelucksingh > <admin(a)ttcsweb.org> wrote: > > > > The Joint Statement on the IRT Report From ALAC and NCUC : > > > https://st.icann.org/gnso-liaison/index.cgi?joint_statement_on_the_irt_repo… > > > > Dev T > > > > Andres Piazza wrote: > >> > >> Dear All, today is the deadline for presenting Public Comments at the > >> ITR Report. This is the link: > >> http://www.icann.org/en/public-comment/#irt-report > >> You may remember that ALAC has been very active at Sydney (and before) > about this, where this document was made: > https://st.icann.org/alac-docs/index.cgi?statement_of_the_alac_on_the_irt_s… > >> > >> In fact, at the Public Forum, Cheryl (ALAC Chair) and Robin Gross (NCUC > Chair) provided a statement together. > >> > >> I particularly consider interesting the advice provided by Carlos > Aguirre (he has been insisting in this since Paris Meeting, when New GTLD > were announced), that you will find at the comments in the link I posted > above. Personally and algo from a legal perspective, I consider this advice > as an important alternative in order to avoid legal conflicts. > >> > >> During this week we will be providing some feedback from Sydney and > working with the Agenda. > >> > >> Warm Regards, > >> > >> Andrés Piazza > >> LACRALO Chair > >> _________________________________________________________________ > >> Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows > Live > >> http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/119462413/direct/01/ > >> _______________________________________________ > >> lac-discuss-en mailing list > >> lac-discuss-en(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > >> > http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/lac-discuss-en_atlarge-list… > > > > _______________________________________________ > > lac-discuss-en mailing list > > lac-discuss-en(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > > > http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/lac-discuss-en_atlarge-list… > > _______________________________________________ > lac-discuss-en mailing list > lac-discuss-en(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > > http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/lac-discuss-en_atlarge-list… > -- Cheryl Langdon-Orr (CLO)

1 0

IGF workshops
by Sivasubramanian Muthusamy July 7, 2009

July 7, 2009

Hello I have proposed, as an individual, affiliated to ISOC India Chennai, four workshops for the IGF 2009, as I have been an active participant at the IGF and have been part of IGF related mailing lists such as the Internet Governance Caucus and other lists and groups. These workshops are on topics that extend well beyond the management of Critical Internet Resources. The workshops proposed are *List of Workshops* http://isocmadras.blogspot.com/2009/06/isoc-chennai-igf-workshop-proposals.… Openness 323. Roundtable: Balancing Security and Privacy Concerns<http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/chronocontact/?chronofor…> Security 312. Children Online: The promises of the Internet and the necessary aspects for Online Safety<http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/chronocontact/?chronofor…> Development 311. Alexandria Everywhere: Open and Accessible classrooms on the Internet to bridge the fundamental divide in <http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/chronocontact/?chronofor…> education<http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/chronocontact/?chronofor…> 319. Workshop on Fundamentals: Internet's Core Values.<http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/index.php/component/chronocontact/?chronofor…> ISOC India Chennai is a certified ALS. Several ALS structures / RALOs have proposed workshops for the IGF and several participants of At-Large are participants of the IGF. Some of the topics proposed would be of interest to At Large, so I am posting the links here to share information and to invite support and participation in these workshops. At Large participants either in their role as ALS / RALO / ALAC members or in their individual capacity as IGF participants are invited to co-participate. Thank You. Sivasubramanian Muthusamy facebook: http://is.gd/x8Sh LinkedIn: http://is.gd/x8U6 Twitter: http://is.gd/x8Vz

4 9

(no subject)
by ajh ajh July 6, 2009

July 6, 2009

¡Obtén la mejor experiencia en la web! Descarga gratis el nuevo Internet Explorer 8. http://downloads.yahoo.com/ieak8/?l=mx

1 0

(no subject)
by ajh ajh July 6, 2009

July 6, 2009

¡Obtén la mejor experiencia en la web! Descarga gratis el nuevo Internet Explorer 8. http://downloads.yahoo.com/ieak8/?l=mx

1 0

(no subject)
by ajh ajh July 6, 2009

July 6, 2009

¡Obtén la mejor experiencia en la web! Descarga gratis el nuevo Internet Explorer 8. http://downloads.yahoo.com/ieak8/?l=mx

1 0

Weekly posting summary for alac@atlarge-lists.icann.org
by Thomas Narten July 3, 2009

July 3, 2009

Total of 5 messages in the last 7 days. script run at: Fri Jul 3 00:53:07 EDT 2009 Messages | Bytes | Who --------+------+--------+----------+------------------------ 40.00% | 2 | 43.52% | 23917 | vanda at uol.com.br 20.00% | 1 | 23.52% | 12927 | annette.muehlberg at web.de 20.00% | 1 | 21.65% | 11897 | epstein at free.fr 20.00% | 1 | 11.30% | 6210 | narten at us.ibm.com --------+------+--------+----------+------------------------ 100.00% | 5 |100.00% | 54951 | Total

1 0

Re: [At-Large] [EURO-Discuss] [Fwd: Welcome to ICANN At-Large!]
by Annette Muehlberg June 30, 2009

June 30, 2009

hello monique, welcome! greetings from annette (network new media, berlin) > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: "epstein monique" <epstein(a)free.fr> > Gesendet: 29.06.09 21:42:55 > An: at-large(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > Betreff: [EURO-Discuss] [Fwd: Welcome to ICANN At-Large!] > Please receive hereby (at the end of the mail) the information (in PINK > and VIOLET!) about > E-SENIORS organization in Paris. > Sorry to send it so late after the "good" news of our certification > but I sent this mail earlier only to "staff@atlarge..." > and did not realize that only very few people got it!! > Today I got a mail from Connie Kendig (ISOC) as a Community Grants > Programme awardee because the project proposal of E-SENIORS was > accepted among others : > * A project by ISOC Global Member Monique Epstein to train elderly > French citizens for the purpose of bridging and shrinking the digital > gap between generations "... > > And so I got a "second reason" to give some information around ?..about > our organization > If you are interested in subjects concerning "Seniors" or more widely > "E-excluded people" and "Internet", please don't hesitate to get in > touch with us!! > Monique Epstein > (epstein(a)free.fr) > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Welcome to ICANN At-Large! > Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 00:53:58 -0700 > From: ICANN AtLarge Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org> > To: epstein monique <epstein(a)free.fr> > CC: Discussion for At-Large Europe <euro-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org> > > > > Friday, 05 June, 2009 > > TO: E-Seniors > > FROM: ICANN At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) > > SUBJECT: At-Large Structure Certification > > > ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is pleased to inform you that > E-Seniors > has been certified as an At-Large Structure (ALS). The ALAC greatly > appreciates your group's > interest in involving individual users in ICANN and looks forward to working > with you and your colleagues. > > The purpose of ALS certification is to recognize that your organization > meets the necessary criteria to involve individual Internet users at the > local or issue level in ICANN activities, and that your organization will > support its individual members' informed participation in ICANN efforts that > affect end-users. > > The ALAC is eager to promote a productive working relationship between your > organization, other ALS, and the ALAC (and ICANN in general), and your input > on how we can make this a success would be greatly appreciated. > > We would like to offer some initial tools to help your organization keep its > members informed (about significant news from ICANN and information on ICANN > policy-development efforts) and engaged in activities of interest: > > > - ALS information. Information about your organization will be shared > with the At-Large community to enable individuals interested in your group's > activities to contact you, and to encourage cooperation with other groups > interested in ICANN activities in your geographic region. Please complete > and email the form at the bottom of this note to _staff(a)atlarge.icann.org_. > > --------------------------- > Name: E-SENIORS organization > > Location (city/country/region; whatever is relevant to your > membership): Paris ( 11th arrondissement) / FRANCE > > Mission: > The aim of the E-SENIORS association is to fight against e-exclusion by > providing access to and training in information and communication > technologies for seniors and/or disabled people, with the purpose of: > . bridging and shrinking the digital gap between generations; > . caring for elders by fighting against senior isolation, and; > . opening new horizons for the efficient use of free time. > > > Member benefits: > Our main offer, since our creation 5 years ago, has consisted in group > courses on ICTs for seniors in different public locations (in several > quarters of the city and in two surrounding departments). In response to > increasing demand after the appearance of several newspaper articles > concerning our specific method, we have been constantly opening new > locations all over the Ile de France region in order to provide a > "proximity" service which takes into account the rhythm, interests and > needs of our target population. > > Besides teaching "basic computer skills", i.e. how to use a computer to > type a text, to communicate by mail with friends or relatives, to seek > information on the Web, or to make life easier through e-administration, > we have opened more thematically-oriented workshops for "advanced" > students", dealing with, for example, digital images and sounds, and > interactive messaging and chat. Step by step, we have added new > activities like "writing memories", "karaoke with old French songs", and > conferences and meetings dealing with the fight against e-exclusion or > how ICTs can help one live better while growing older. All this is > accomplished with the concept of a "cyber seniors club" in mind, > inducing socializing on an informal level. This is a quasi non-existent > concept in most big cities! > > Our second target population is people with reduced mobility (elderly > people living in their homes). For them, we offer: computer > home/personal training or assistance; help with purchasing and > installation of computer equipment, and; communication with the help of > audio-visual accessories, for offering both social and administrative > support services as well as technical support and hotline help. For > these people with identified risk factors and/or chronic conditions -- > who stay (mostly) alone in their homes -- we aim to improve quality of > life through greater autonomy by offering bidirectional and interactive > remote- and video-assistance, based on computerized, "extranet"-type > services in the sense that the TCP/IP network is used to connect the > home to external services (for prevention, management, support, etc.) or > to the "rest of the world" (which includes friends and family). > > Last but not least, we work with people in retirement homes, day-care > centers (for, for example, MCI or Alzheimer patients) and other > specialized institutes. Nowadays, life expectancy is increasing because > of progress in science and medicine. On the other hand, there is an > insufficient number of retirement homes or day-care centers and only the > more expensive ones provide services not only linked to survival! For > this target population, our experienced staff offers cognitive and > physical stimulation through interactive games, using Nintendo consoles, > Wiifit balance boards or other online games. Of course, we work together > with the resident-care staff, as well as with doctors, physiotherapists > and others. Within the scope of these activities, we have already > experimented with the use of a remote-control set (similar to the > Wiimote control of the Nintendo console) with Bluetooth and Wifi > technologies, for remote control of a TV set linked to a computer. The > underlying idea here is to offer a replacement solution for the keyboard > and mouse for people who are confined to a wheelchair or to a bed. > > > Contacts (name/s and email address/es -- title/s optional): > Monique EPSTEIN epstein(a)free.fr > Jean-Michel DAMIANTHE vj.damianthe(a)gmail.com > Mark KONICK markkonick(a)yahoo.com > > > Website: > www.e-seniors.asso.fr <http://www.e-seniors.asso.fr> > www.eseniors.eu <http://www.eseniors.eu> > tandemsgo.eseniors.eu <http://tandemsgo.eseniors.eu> > e-seniors.over-blog.com <http://e-seniors.over-blog.com/> > > Other (additional informational you would like included): > We are eager to work together with any group intrested in the subjects > : "Seniors and ICT" or "digital divide" > > Regards, > > Nick Ashton-Hart, Heidi Ullrich, Matthias Langenegger, Gisella > Gruber-White, Marie-Helene Bouchoms > ICANN At-Large Staff > email: staff(a)atlarge.icann.org > -- > > Monique Epstein > Association E-Seniors > +33 . 6 24 39 64 34 > www.e-seniors.asso.fr <http://www.e-seniors.asso.fr> > www.eseniors.eu <http://www.eseniors.eu> > tandemsgo.eseniors.eu <http://tandemsgo.eseniors.eu> > e-seniors.over-blog.com <http://e-seniors.over-blog.com/> > > _______________________________________________ > EURO-Discuss mailing list > EURO-Discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/euro-discuss_atlarge-lists.… > > Homepage for the region: http://www.euralo.org > --

1 0

[Fwd: Welcome to ICANN At-Large!]
by epstein monique June 30, 2009

June 30, 2009

Please receive hereby (at the end of the mail) the information (in PINK and VIOLET!) about E-SENIORS organization in Paris. Sorry to send it so late after the "good" news of our certification but I sent this mail earlier only to "staff@atlarge..." and did not realize that only very few people got it!! Today I got a mail from Connie Kendig (ISOC) as a Community Grants Programme awardee because the project proposal of E-SENIORS was accepted among others : * A project by ISOC Global Member Monique Epstein to train elderly French citizens for the purpose of bridging and shrinking the digital gap between generations "... And so I got a "second reason" to give some information around ?..about our organization If you are interested in subjects concerning "Seniors" or more widely "E-excluded people" and "Internet", please don't hesitate to get in touch with us!! Monique Epstein (epstein(a)free.fr) -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Welcome to ICANN At-Large! Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2009 00:53:58 -0700 From: ICANN AtLarge Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org> To: epstein monique <epstein(a)free.fr> CC: Discussion for At-Large Europe <euro-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org> Friday, 05 June, 2009 TO: E-Seniors FROM: ICANN At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) SUBJECT: At-Large Structure Certification ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is pleased to inform you that E-Seniors has been certified as an At-Large Structure (ALS). The ALAC greatly appreciates your group's interest in involving individual users in ICANN and looks forward to working with you and your colleagues. The purpose of ALS certification is to recognize that your organization meets the necessary criteria to involve individual Internet users at the local or issue level in ICANN activities, and that your organization will support its individual members' informed participation in ICANN efforts that affect end-users. The ALAC is eager to promote a productive working relationship between your organization, other ALS, and the ALAC (and ICANN in general), and your input on how we can make this a success would be greatly appreciated. We would like to offer some initial tools to help your organization keep its members informed (about significant news from ICANN and information on ICANN policy-development efforts) and engaged in activities of interest: - ALS information. Information about your organization will be shared with the At-Large community to enable individuals interested in your group's activities to contact you, and to encourage cooperation with other groups interested in ICANN activities in your geographic region. Please complete and email the form at the bottom of this note to _staff(a)atlarge.icann.org_. --------------------------- Name: E-SENIORS organization Location (city/country/region; whatever is relevant to your membership): Paris ( 11th arrondissement) / FRANCE Mission: The aim of the E-SENIORS association is to fight against e-exclusion by providing access to and training in information and communication technologies for seniors and/or disabled people, with the purpose of: . bridging and shrinking the digital gap between generations; . caring for elders by fighting against senior isolation, and; . opening new horizons for the efficient use of free time. Member benefits: Our main offer, since our creation 5 years ago, has consisted in group courses on ICTs for seniors in different public locations (in several quarters of the city and in two surrounding departments). In response to increasing demand after the appearance of several newspaper articles concerning our specific method, we have been constantly opening new locations all over the Ile de France region in order to provide a "proximity" service which takes into account the rhythm, interests and needs of our target population. Besides teaching "basic computer skills", i.e. how to use a computer to type a text, to communicate by mail with friends or relatives, to seek information on the Web, or to make life easier through e-administration, we have opened more thematically-oriented workshops for "advanced" students", dealing with, for example, digital images and sounds, and interactive messaging and chat. Step by step, we have added new activities like "writing memories", "karaoke with old French songs", and conferences and meetings dealing with the fight against e-exclusion or how ICTs can help one live better while growing older. All this is accomplished with the concept of a "cyber seniors club" in mind, inducing socializing on an informal level. This is a quasi non-existent concept in most big cities! Our second target population is people with reduced mobility (elderly people living in their homes). For them, we offer: computer home/personal training or assistance; help with purchasing and installation of computer equipment, and; communication with the help of audio-visual accessories, for offering both social and administrative support services as well as technical support and hotline help. For these people with identified risk factors and/or chronic conditions -- who stay (mostly) alone in their homes -- we aim to improve quality of life through greater autonomy by offering bidirectional and interactive remote- and video-assistance, based on computerized, "extranet"-type services in the sense that the TCP/IP network is used to connect the home to external services (for prevention, management, support, etc.) or to the "rest of the world" (which includes friends and family). Last but not least, we work with people in retirement homes, day-care centers (for, for example, MCI or Alzheimer patients) and other specialized institutes. Nowadays, life expectancy is increasing because of progress in science and medicine. On the other hand, there is an insufficient number of retirement homes or day-care centers and only the more expensive ones provide services not only linked to survival! For this target population, our experienced staff offers cognitive and physical stimulation through interactive games, using Nintendo consoles, Wiifit balance boards or other online games. Of course, we work together with the resident-care staff, as well as with doctors, physiotherapists and others. Within the scope of these activities, we have already experimented with the use of a remote-control set (similar to the Wiimote control of the Nintendo console) with Bluetooth and Wifi technologies, for remote control of a TV set linked to a computer. The underlying idea here is to offer a replacement solution for the keyboard and mouse for people who are confined to a wheelchair or to a bed. Contacts (name/s and email address/es -- title/s optional): Monique EPSTEIN epstein(a)free.fr Jean-Michel DAMIANTHE vj.damianthe(a)gmail.com Mark KONICK markkonick(a)yahoo.com Website: www.e-seniors.asso.fr <http://www.e-seniors.asso.fr> www.eseniors.eu <http://www.eseniors.eu> tandemsgo.eseniors.eu <http://tandemsgo.eseniors.eu> e-seniors.over-blog.com <http://e-seniors.over-blog.com/> Other (additional informational you would like included): We are eager to work together with any group intrested in the subjects : "Seniors and ICT" or "digital divide" Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart, Heidi Ullrich, Matthias Langenegger, Gisella Gruber-White, Marie-Helene Bouchoms ICANN At-Large Staff email: staff(a)atlarge.icann.org -- Monique Epstein Association E-Seniors +33 . 6 24 39 64 34 www.e-seniors.asso.fr <http://www.e-seniors.asso.fr> www.eseniors.eu <http://www.eseniors.eu> tandemsgo.eseniors.eu <http://tandemsgo.eseniors.eu> e-seniors.over-blog.com <http://e-seniors.over-blog.com/>

2 1

Weekly posting summary for alac@atlarge-lists.icann.org
by Thomas Narten June 26, 2009

June 26, 2009

Total of 23 messages in the last 7 days. script run at: Fri Jun 26 00:53:03 EDT 2009 Messages | Bytes | Who --------+------+--------+----------+------------------------ 4.35% | 1 | 85.80% | 943929 | iza at anr.org 13.04% | 3 | 2.06% | 22650 | baptista at publicroot.org 13.04% | 3 | 1.61% | 17752 | carlton.samuels at uwimona.edu.jm 8.70% | 2 | 1.59% | 17506 | rudi.vansnick at isoc.be 8.70% | 2 | 1.58% | 17352 | ymshana2003 at hotmail.com 8.70% | 2 | 1.27% | 14011 | cetic at ajudicialmdp.org.ar 8.70% | 2 | 1.26% | 13829 | vanda at uol.com.br 4.35% | 1 | 0.84% | 9205 | sebastien.bachollet at isoc.fr 4.35% | 1 | 0.83% | 9178 | isolatedn at gmail.com 4.35% | 1 | 0.61% | 6721 | langdonorr at gmail.com 4.35% | 1 | 0.60% | 6594 | patrick at vande-walle.eu 4.35% | 1 | 0.54% | 5893 | dthompson at gov.nu.ca 4.35% | 1 | 0.52% | 5766 | narten at us.ibm.com 4.35% | 1 | 0.44% | 4877 | ajp at glocom.ac.jp 4.35% | 1 | 0.44% | 4848 | khaled.koubaa at topnet.tn --------+------+--------+----------+------------------------ 100.00% | 23 |100.00% | 1100111 | Total

1 0

European Commission calls for an open, independent and accountable governance of the internet
by Rudi Vansnick June 26, 2009

June 26, 2009

* * *European Commission calls for an open, independent and accountable governance of the internet* The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, today called, in a strategic document, for more transparency and multilateral accountability in the governance of the internet. There are today 1.5 billion internet users worldwide, 300 million of which are in the European Union's 27 Member States. At present, a private US-based body, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers <http://www.icann.org/> ( ICANN <http://www.icann.org/>), is responsible for coordinating key elements of the internet. The Commission agrees that private companies should continue to take the lead in the day-to-day management of the operation of the internet, as long as they are accountable and independent. The Commission also believes that decisions about the internet, especially those about openness and security, should be taken in a transparent and accountable manner because they affect everyone around the globe. ICANN currently operates under a Joint Project Agreement with the US Department of Commerce which expires on 30 September 2009. In the view of the European Commission, future internet governance arrangements should reflect the key role that the global network has come to play for all countries. Viviane Reding, the EU's Commissioner for Information Society and Media said: "The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is approaching a historic point in its development. Will it become a fully independent organisation, accountable to the global internet community? Europeans would expect so, and this is what we will push for. I call on the United States to work together with the European Union to achieve this." With the expiry of the bilateral Joint Project Agreement between ICANN and the US government due in September 2009, the Commission said today that this private sector initiative should continue its leadership, but should operate within clear guidelines defined through an international dialogue. For example, if ICANN is to oversee the introduction of customised domain names (which will allow a website to replace ".com" with ".anything"), it should set clear guidelines and operate openly. The EU also believes that future internet governance arrangements should comply with key principles, in particular, the respect for human rights and freedom of expression as well as the need to preserve stability and security of the internet. The Commission today, in a Communication called 'Internet governance: the next steps', made proposals for the governance of the internet to be more open, transparent and inclusive. A key objective is that of accountability – including both internal (the decision-making bodies and general organisation of ICANN) and external accountability (multilateral accountability involving all countries of the world). This also means that those affected by decisions of governance bodies should have the possibility to lodge an appeal with an independent tribunal. The Commission also proposed that the network should be managed by private bodies within principles agreed upon by public authorities but without government interference in day-to-day operations. The US government is the only body to have had formal oversight of ICANN's policies and activities since its inception in 1998. As the Joint Project Agreement is ending now, the Commission believes that ICANN should become universally accountable, not just to one government but to the global internet community. This is particularly relevant given that the next billion of internet users will mainly come from the developing world. The Commission today said that the EU should initiate discussions with international partners on these issues, in particular on how to enhance the internet's resilience against accidental failure or deliberate attack. The Commission's policy proposals want to reaffirm private initiative and ensure that the internet remains an engine of innovation, free speech and economic development. Background The EU has always been in the forefront of international discussions on internet governance. In particular, the EU has been involved in the setting up of ICANN in 1998. A number of important principles on how the internet needs to be managed and coordinated in the public interest were agreed by governments, the private sector and civil society in the context of the World Summit on the Information Society <http://www.itu.int/wsis/>between 2003 and 2005. The need to ensure the continued security and stability of the internet was a key priority pushed for by the EU, as was the need for private sector leadership and to have fully inclusive multi-stakeholder involvement in key policy making. The Commission Communication "Internet governance: the next steps" is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/internet_gov/index_en.htm EU Commissioner Viviane Reding has recently outlined her vision for the future of internet governance in a video message (see IP/09/696 <http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/696&format=HT…>): http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/reding/video/text/message_20090504.p… Today the European Commission also presented its Action Plan on another important evolution of the internet – the 'internet of things Rudi Vansnick President Internet Society Belgium vzw Voorzitter TIK vzw Board member EURALO (ALAC - ICANN) Tel: +32 (0)70 77 39 39 GSM: +32 (0)475 28 16 32 www.isoc.be <http://www.isoc.be> - www.vansnick.eu <http://www.vansnick.eu>

3 2