Name: Emmanuel Vitus Declared region of residence: Lyon, France (Europe) Gender: Male Employment: Executive Director of AW Free Foundation Any conflicts of interest: None Reasons for willingness to take on the position: I am honored to be nominated for a second term as Policy Coordinator for NPOC, reflecting on a transformative first year in this leadership role. Our voice on policy matters, long unheard, has finally resonated across key initiatives such as the IDNs EPDP Phases I and II, the New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Working Group, the Transfer Policy Review IRT, and the SubPro IRT, along with the Council Committee for Overseeing and Implementing Continuous Improvement (CCOICI). We've led the drafting of four public comments and are actively engaged in the Review of the Draft Registry Service Provider (RSP) Handbook, as well as deliberations on Public Interest Commitments (PICs) and Registry Voluntary Commitments (RVCs). In less than a year, our policy efforts have proven highly effective. Building on the promise from my initial campaign to streamline our policy activities and enhance mentorship--promises which we have fulfilled - the results are clear and compelling. Now, I seek your continued trust to advance this momentum into a second term, aiming to pass on a vibrant legacy to future leadership, ready and capable of driving our mission forward. One term has laid the groundwork; however, it is not sufficient to fully enact our vision for a robust policy framework--this first term was about firefighting. Now, I ask for your vote to help establish a strong policy committee that can significantly influence ongoing policy developments, particularly the forthcoming round of New gTLD applications, ensuring our members are well-prepared to participate. Committed to fostering a dynamic environment of engagement, I am eager to mentor new and existing members who share our vision: reduce bureaucracy, increase participation, and achieve tangible results. With a re-elected term, our Executive Committee can enhance its visibility in policy discussions, empowering more members to lead and shape policy dialogues. Together, we can achieve more. Some of my focus areas when reelected include the GNSO Policy & Implementation Working Group Recommendations, Public Interest Commitments (PICs), Registry Voluntary Commitments (RVCs) and activities around the upcoming. Qualifications for the Role: I am a Digital Policy Researcher by profession and currently serve as the Executive Director for the Holland-based AW Free Foundation. The AW Free Foundation promotes professional journalism, independent media, freedom of expression, and digital rights in sub-Saharan Africa. The foundation supports journalists and media under threat, and promotes open technology and uncensored media tools and toolkits for journalists. Before joining the Foundation, I worked as a journalist for the North Africa Post, the BBC, and RFI. I was the Communication Lead at Paradigm Initiative and a Google Policy Fellow (EMEA). I have worked as a non-key expert for the joint European Union & African Union's PRIDA - Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa project, implementing and strengthening several National and Regional Internet Governance Initiatives, including the West Africa Internet Governance Forum, and national IGF initiatives and schools across Africa. I am currently the coordinator of the West Africa School of Internet Governance for ECOWAS and a faculty member of the Ghana and Benin School on Internet Governance. I have been a researcher and consultant on projects for organizations including the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the Web Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Paradigm Initiative, Local Development Research Institute (LDRI), ICANN, UNESCO, The Humboldt Institute for Internet and Digitalization, Berlin's Digital Society Institute, and I am the Chair of the Internet Society Togo Chapter. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Finance from IAEC University (Togo), a BSc (Hons) in Business Computing and Information Systems from the University of Central Lancashire (UK), an M.A. in Journalism & Communications (New Media) from the Central University of Tunis (Tunisia), and I am an MA candidate in Contemporary Diplomacy (Internet Governance) from the University of Malta. I paused my Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy & Governance three years ago. I have authored and co-authored numerous articles and book chapters on topics including AI, Data Governance, IT policy, Internet Governance, Digital Rights, and Privacy. I am also a faculty member at the emlyon business school in France (Paris & Lyon campuses) and the School of Public Affairs at Paris Sciences Po. I am a certified PMP & Scrum Master and a member of the Project Management Institute and the British Computer Society, MyData Global, and several Digital Rights Coalitions. I am bilingual, fluent in both French and English. In addition to coordinating the policy work of NPOC, I am a member of the NCSG Policy Committee and represent the NCSG in the IDNs EPDP. I have participated in the ICANN Leadership Program (LP), the ICANN Policy Transition Program Pilot as a pioneer fellow, and the ongoing ICANN Policy Development Accelerator. How many hours per week you are able to dedicate to the position? During my first term, I consistently devoted approximately 6 to 8 hours each week to NPOC policy work. This included engaging in weekly EPDP meetings and participating in the ICANN Policy Development Accelerator. I am prepared to increase my commitment as necessary and also dedicate time to mentoring members who are interested in policy work or wish to take a leading role in drafting our public comments and contributions. Are you involved in any working Groups or PDP efforts, if so please state: I am currently engaged in the ICANN Policy Development Accelerator and actively participating in the EPDP for IDNs, as well as the discussions around Public Interest Commitments (PICs). I serve as a Penholder for some of the NCSG Policy Committee's comments. Additionally, I am an observer at the GNSO Council meetings and participate in the Transfer Policy Review IRT and the SubPro IRT. --- Emmanuel Vitus _Policy Researcher, working for an Open & Inclusive Internet_ _My WiFi connects automatically in France & Togo _