Largest Ever ICANN Meeting Convenes in London Affirmation of Multistakeholder Model for Internet governance by World Leaders London, United Kingdom More than 3,300 people from around the world have registered for ICANN¹s 50th meeting in London, making it the largest in the organization¹s history. ³Today is a great day for advancement of the multistakeholder model and its inclusivity,² said Fadi Chehadé, President and CEO of ICANN. ³ICANN 50 is a milestone meeting for many reasons, not the least of which is the remarkable affirmations of the multistakeholder model it has brought.² Chehadé applauded the Chinese government¹s adoption of the DNSSEC deployment and the expansion of the IPv6 protocol, which he said will assure the expansion of the continued global expansion of the Internet. Minister Lu Wei of China¹s Cyberspace Affairs Administration told attendees, ³We all hold one single aspiration, i.e. to improve the governance of the Internet. This is in line with ICANN¹s vision of ŒOne World, One Internet¹.² Minister Lu expressed appreciation and support for the advancements of the multistakeholder model that framed the NETmundial meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil in April. Minister Lu¹s comments followed the recognition of the newly formed Lebanon Internet Center or LINC. Dr. Imad Hoballah, a member of the LINC Board, said, ³The multistakeholder approach draws its strength from the ability to bring together diverse views, and align them to a common goal of a global, interoperable Internet.² Chehadé acknowledged the announcements by both Lebanon and China, ³Both are a testament to the world¹s growing commitment to an inclusive multistakeholder Internet governance model, as is the remarkably high participation from so many people from every region of the world.² The U.K.¹s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Edward Vaizey told attendees, ³The Internet, as it has been governed, has to be seen as an unqualified success story. It's created the opportunity for massive economic growth and for greater intellectual freedom. So if we're going to look at the governance of the Internet, it's important that we preserve those principles.² Board Chair, Dr. Stephen Crocker, embraced ICANN¹s maturation to meet the needs of an expanding online world. ³Our world, - the Internet worldŠ is constantly evolving, changing to meet the ever-expanding number of global Internet users² The Board Chair for the UK Internet registry Nominet, Baroness Rennie Fritchie said, ³We approach the challenge of Internet governance with the same appetite, finding better ways of doing our bit, working together and a desire to make real progress.² ³In an increasingly globalized world, having a sense of identity, of course, becomes ever more important,² the First Minister of Wales, the Rt Hon Carwyn James told attendees, ³The Internet allows us to make connections that go beyond our local neighborhoods and even beyond our country's borders, allowing individuals to develop their personal identity in whatever manner they see fit.² ICANN also announced the winner of the 2014 Multistakeholder Ethos Award ­ Avri Doria, policy and governance advisor for dotgay LLC. The Multistakeholder Ethos Award recognizes ICANN participants who have deeply invested in consensus-based solutions, recognized the importance of ICANN's multistakeholder model of Internet governance, and contributed in a substantive way to the higher interests of ICANN's organization and its community. ICANN¹s 50th meeting will continue through the week with sessions on ICANN¹s global accountability and consideration of the U.S. government¹s proposal to transition of the stewardship of the Internet¹s technical functions to global multistakeholder model. ### To learn more about ICANN50 go here: http://london50.icann.org/en/. To download high-res pictures of the meeting, go to: https://www.flickr.com/photos/icann