[ICANN news release] Irish Minister of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Alex White, expressed Ireland’s support of both the multistakeholder model of Internet governance and the IANA Stewardship Transition today, during the Opening Ceremony of ICANN’s 54th Public Meeting. The meeting, taking place in Dublin, Ireland, from 18-22 October, has convened members of the global ICANN community to discuss and develop policy related to the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS).

“I commend the work of all those who have devoted so much of their time and energy to engage with the multistakeholder process. Ireland firmly supports the multistakeholder model of Internet governance,” said White.

The ICANN community has convened in Dublin to collaborate on a variety of issues impacting the DNS, including a set of proposals related to last year’s announcement that the United States intends to transition its stewardship of the IANA functions, which are key elements of the Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS), to the global multistakeholder community.

White expressed Ireland’s support for the United States’ decision during the ceremony, stating, “I believe…that this diverse and vibrant community must have a voice in how the Internet is governed. So I welcome and applaud the decision of the United States government to give voice to this community and to facilitate the transition to a truly multistakeholder model of Internet governance.”

ICANN Board Chair Dr. Stephen Crocker assured the community of the Board’s continued support, stating, “This meeting, ICANN54, is an important milestone. The finish line we believe is now in sight. The Board has certainly come together and is committed to facilitate and support the community in every way that we can, and it’s my sincere hope that we all come together in a positive spirit that is punctuated by mutual respect. ”

ICANN also announced the winner of the 2015 Leadership award – Armenian Internet pioneer and former ICANN Fellow Siranush Vardanyan. The award is given to members of the global Internet community who have demonstrated a commitment to protecting and promoting the multistakeholder model.

Those unable to attend ICANN54 in person are highly encouraged to participate remotely. Details for doing so can be found for any of the sessions listed at: https://meetings.icann.org/en/dublin54/schedule-full.

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To learn more about ICANN54 in Dublin, please visit: https://meetings.icann.org/en/dublin54.