Global Domain Name and Internet Policy News
[news release] Registration is now open for the 2020 LAC Domain Names Week, which will be held virtually. The theme of this year’s event is “Understanding the Ecosystem and Learning New Opportunities.”
The Public Interest Registry (PIR), who operates a number of gTLDs including .org, ngo and .ong and associated internationalised domain names, has begun accepting nominations for their Board of Directors
The Public Interest Registry (PIR), who operates a number of gTLDs including .org, ngo and .ong and associated internationalised domain names, has begun accepting nominations for their Board of Directors.
In 2019 there are three positions opening on the PIR Board. The three directors will serve a 3-year term that begins mid-year 2019 and expires mid-year 2022. PIR says prior board experience is preferred. All directors must be able to read and understand a balance sheet, as well as read and communicate effectively in the English language.
There are approximately 15 full days per year for face-to-face meetings (not including travel time), regular conference calls (generally monthly), and daily email correspondence. Directors that participate in all meetings are eligible to accept compensation up to US$12,000 per year
The deadline for nominations is 15:00 UTC on February 4, 2019. Interested candidates should submit this form. More information is available here.
This is the third Africa DNS forum following on the successful forums in Durban, South Africa (2013), and Abuja, Nigeria (2014)
This is the third Africa DNS forum following on the successful forums in Durban, South Africa (2013), and Abuja, Nigeria (2014).
The forum is organized in partnership with ICANN, The Internet Society (ISOC) and the Africa Top Level Domain Organization (AFTLD) and will be hosted this year by the Kenya Network Information Center (KENIC), from 6-8 July 2015, under the theme:
When: 6-8 July 2015
Where: Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya
“The Future of Africa’s Domain Name Industry:
Opportunities and Challenges”
Purpose: The Africa DNS Forum brings together ccTLD registries, registrars, and stakeholders from Africa and around the world to share, learn, interact and discuss ways of how the African Domain Name Space can be improved, by sharing experiences and best practices in the domain name industry at a global level, and of the emerging business opportunities. The Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology of Kenya (MICT) have endorsed this year’s event.
Who should attend: Registries, registrars, registrants, ccTLDs, new gTLD applicants, service providers, brand owners, and legal firms
Register now to secure your place
More details are available from the event site: dnsforum.or.ke/index.php/home
For more information, please email: info@dnsforum.or.ke
This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2015-06-08-en
In a statement distributed to the Internet Societyâs global community today (21 May), Internet Society President and CEO, Kathryn C. Brown has stressed the organizationâs continued commitment to the stewardship transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions to the global Internet community, highlighting that this process is key to maintaining long-term value in the collaborative, multistakeholder model of Internet governance.
In a statement distributed to the Internet Societyâs global community today (21 May), Internet Society President and CEO, Kathryn C. Brown has stressed the organizationâs continued commitment to the stewardship transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions to the global Internet community, highlighting that this process is key to maintaining long-term value in the collaborative, multistakeholder model of Internet governance.
The statement follows the news today that Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) President and CEO, Fadi Chehadé, who has played an important role in leading ICANN in its efforts toward the globalization of the IANA functions to date, will step down from his post in March 2016.
Noting how the Internet Society is concerned with the health and wellbeing of the Internet for everyone, everywhere, Ms. Brown said, âOur community is deeply committed to seeing the transition through to completion. Indeed, there is no turning back. We have a responsibility to the users of the global Internet to maintain the momentum for a timely, orderly transition of the role of the United States Department of Commerce NTIA.â
Since 1998 the United States, through the NTIA, has contracted ICANN to perform the IANA functions, which involve management of the Internet’s Domain Name System’s root-zone. The NTIA announced its intention to transition its role and responsibilities with regards to the IANA functions on 14 March 2014.
As a directly affected party to the IANA contract, the Internet Society is focused on supporting the sustainable evolution of the Internet ecosystem. The organization remains strongly committed to the IANA Transition process and pledges its continued efforts and resources in support of the multistakeholder effort.
In conclusion, Ms. Brown said, âThe community has done impressive work in elaborating a proposal for the transition of the IANA functions stewardship⦠I am most confident that the community, through its open and transparent processes, will submit a proposal in the very near future that meets the requirements set forward by the NTIA and that will enable a successful transition of the IANA functions to the global multistakeholder community.â
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society (http://www.internetsociety.org) is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership around the world. It is also the organizational home for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). With its principled vision, substantial technological foundation and its global presence, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone.
This ISOC news release was sourced from:
www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-ceo-reinforces-commitment-iana-transition-wellbeing-global-internet
In a statement issued last Sunday, the Internet Society (ISOC) has declared it “cannot agree to participate in or endorse the Coordination Council for the NETmundial Initiative”. The initiative was also criticised in a separate statement by the civil society group Just Net Coalition who stated “such initiatives are not consistent with democracy”. The move was described as a “a ‘UN Security Council’ for the internet – which would rule over the online world” by Kieren McCarthy.
In a statement issued last Sunday, the Internet Society (ISOC) has declared it “cannot agree to participate in or endorse the Coordination Council for the NETmundial Initiative”. The initiative was also criticised in a separate statement by the civil society group Just Net Coalition who stated “such initiatives are not consistent with democracy”. The move was described as a “a ‘UN Security Council’ for the internet – which would rule over the online world” by Kieren McCarthy.The NETmundial Initiative ISOC notes is different from the one-time NETmundial meeting that ISOC participated in in April 2014. ISOC endorsed the outcomes of that meeting. “This new and different NETmundial Initiative has been organised by the partnership of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and the World Economic Forum (WEF). This announcement has resulted in considerable discussion and concern amongst various stakeholders regarding the purpose, scope, and nature of the proposed activity or organisation.”ISOC is “concerned that the way in which the NETmundial Initiative is being formed does not appear to be consistent with the Internet Society’s longstanding principles, including:
The Just Net Coalition is equally critical, saying the “Net Mundial Initiative opens a new chapter in global governance. This is the first time that such a corporate-led venue – although sold as multistakeholder, open, and voluntary, among others – is positioned as being ‘the’ mechanism for global governance in a specific sector. In fact it is being openly and explicitly positioned as a direct replacement for existing UN based governance models, which are routinely the subject of harsh critiques by some of the NMI proponents.””The Just Net Coalition rejects out of hand the transfer of global governance prerogatives to corporate led initiatives such as the NMI, because such initiatives are not consistent with democracy. It additionally has grave concerns at the abandonment of traditional values of democracy and social justice as some civil society organisations are apparently choosing to enthusiastically enter into this unseemly collaboration with global corporate and other elites as represented most clearly by the World Economic Forum and their annual gathering of the 1% in Davos.”For more on the criticisms see the ISOC statement here and the Just Net Coalition statement here. Kieren McCarthy has written in The Register on the ISOC statement here.
Ceremony celebrates 24 new members whose vision, innovation, and determination helped shape todayâs Internet and expand global connectivity
Ceremony celebrates 24 new members whose vision, innovation, and determination helped shape todayâs Internet and expand global connectivity
[news release] Twenty-four people who designed and advanced the Internet as the global, world-changing platform that it is today will be inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame. The Internet Hall of Fame was launched in 2012 by the Internet Society and this yearâs ceremony will be held in Hong Kong on 8 April. Representing 13 countries, the 2014 class of inductees have pushed the boundaries of technological and social innovation to connect the world. Their trailblazing accomplishments are as broad and diverse as the Internet itself; expanding the Internetâs benefits into new regions and communities, and creating new technologies and standards that were foundational to the Internetâs development and expansion.
The Internet Hall of Fame celebrates Internet leaders and innovators from around the world who believe in the design and potential of an open Internet and, through their work, have helped change the way we live and work today. The 2014 inductees embody that vision:
Pioneers Circle â Recognizing individuals who were instrumental in the early design and development of the Internet:
Innovators â Recognizing individuals who made outstanding technological, commercial, or policy advances and helped to expand the Internetâs reach:
Global Connectors â Recognizing individuals from around the world who have made significant contributions to the global growth and use of the Internet:Â
âWe all benefit today from the contributions of these individuals who helped shape the global Internet,â noted Internet Society CEO Kathy Brown. âThey fearlessly forged into uncharted territory with innovative ideas, groundbreaking technologies, and collaborative work to connect more people and countries to the Internet. We are delighted to honor these inspiring leaders for their foresight, creativity, dedication, and achievements.â
The Internet Hall of Fame is sponsored by Afilias, http://afilias.info/, which connects the world with reliable, secure, scalable and globally available technology that makes Internet addresses more accessible and useful; and TeliaSonera International Carrier, http://www.teliasoneraic.com/, which owns and operates one of the worldâs most extensive fiber backbones. Cathay Pacific Airways is the official airline of the 2014 Internet Hall of Fame.
The 2014 Internet Hall of Fame induction celebration will be hosted by the Internet Societyâs Hong Kong Chapter, and held in conjunction with the International IT Fest 2014, organized by the Hong Kong Office of the Government Chief Information Officer.
âI am delighted that Hong Kong is the first city in the Asia Pacific region to host this prestigious event for the global Internet community. The Internet Hall of Fame celebrates pioneers of a technology which has transformed the way we live, work, and learn. With an extensive range of information resources and services, the Internet has made our world more productive, efficient and convenient. It promotes knowledge-sharing and global connectivity. The Internet also opens up seemingly endless possibilities for the future. Hong Kong people have embraced the Internet age as an integral and indispensable feature of our generation,â stated Mr. John Tsang, Financial Secretary, the Government of Hong Kong SAR.
The Internet Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be viewed via livestream: https://new.livestream.com/internetsociety/2014internethalloffame. More details on the 2014 Internet Hall of Fame inductees, including their biographies and photos, can be found at www.internethalloffame.org. You can follow the Internet Hall of Fame on Facebook and on Twitter at @Internet_HOF (#ihof2014).
The Internet Hall of Fame (www.internethalloffame.org) is a recognition program and virtual museum that celebrates the living history of the Internet and the individuals whose extraordinary contributions have made the Internet, its worldwide availability and use, and its transformative nature possible. The Internet Hall of Fame was launched by the Internet Society in 2012.
The Internet Society (www.internetsociety.org) is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone.
This ISOC news release was sourced from:
www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-hall-fame-welcomes-2014-inductees-ceremony-hong-kong
[news release] The Internet Society announced today the appointment of Kathryn C. Brown as its new Chief Executive Officer effective 1 January 2014. Ms. Brown brings more than 30 years of experience to her new role having most recently served as a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group, an international consulting firm, and as Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Verizon
[news release] The Internet Society announced today the appointment of Kathryn C. Brown as its new Chief Executive Officer effective 1 January 2014. Ms. Brown brings more than 30 years of experience to her new role having most recently served as a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group, an international consulting firm, and as Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Verizon.
âThe search for a new CEO was both global and comprehensive, and we met with talented people from around the globe representing leaders from our broad Internet community and across a number of industries,â said Bob Hinden, Chair of the Internet Society Board of Trustees. âWe are very pleased that Kathy has agreed to take the helm in driving forward the mission and vision of this organization. Kathy is a proven leader with in-depth knowledge of global Internet governance policy and has a keen understanding of the many stakeholders debating the future of the Internet.â
“As the Internet Society engages with the community concerning today’s hot-button issues of privacy, security, and governance, the principles on which ISOC was founded remain as powerful today as they were 20 years ago,” said Ms. Brown. “The Internet Society is a powerful voice in the Internet community speaking out for an open, accessible, and trusted Internet around the globe. In this time of change, as the Internet has matured into a worldwide mode of human interaction, community, and commerce, new opportunities and challenges have inevitably emerged. The Internet Society is well positioned with the people, assets, and energy to engage change. I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lead this extraordinary organization forward.”
Kathy is a veteran of Internet policy development and corporate responsibility initiatives that have aided in the Internetâs global expansion. At Verizon, she helped identify and navigate emerging digital issues and led its global corporate responsibility initiatives. In her policy role, she led the company’s international public policy engagement through a period of dynamic change. She represented the company in the successful adoption by the OECD of principles for Internet policy making and was a member of the U.S. delegation to the ITU World Conference on International Telecommunications treaty negotiations.
As leader of Verizon’s corporate responsibility initiatives, she served on Verizon’s corporate councils for the development of the company’s online privacy and content policies and promoted Verizon’s Human Rights Statement and Supplier Code of Conduct. Additionally, she oversaw an investment of more than $60 million a year in programs and grants from the Verizon Foundation that helped support Internet development. In 2010 she partnered with the Internet Society to launch a highly successful forum on the Internet and higher education in East Africa. Kathy joined Verizon from Washington D.C. law firm Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, where she was a partner specializing in legal and regulatory communications policy.
Earlier in her career, Kathy served in U.S. President Clintonâs Administration where she was deeply involved in policy development that was instrumental to the deployment and adoption of the global Internet. She served as Head of the Office of Policy and Development at the National Telecommunications Information Administration and then as Chief of Staff to Federal Communications Commission Chairman William E. Kennard. At the FCC, she managed the staff supporting Chairman Kennard’s historic decision to keep the Internet unregulated, to fund the E-rate, and to increase radio spectrum availability to fuel wireless technology innovation. Before moving to Washington D.C., Kathy held senior roles for 15 years in government service in New York.
Kathy received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Marist College. She spent one year studying at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and in Leeds, UK.
Based in the organizationâs Reston, Virginia office, Brown succeeds outgoing CEO Lynn St. Amour, who announced in February 2013 that she would be stepping down at the conclusion of her contract.
âThere has been a tremendous amount of growth and change since I joined the organization in 1998. With the unyielding dedication and passion of the truly world-class staff, Chapters, and members, as well as an extremely supportive Board, we have been able to secure the Internet Societyâs role as a global leader on Internet policy, technical, economic and social matters,â said Ms. St. Amour. âThe future is bright for both the Internet and the Internet Society, and I am confident Kathy will lead the organization to new heights.â
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org
This ISOC news release was sourced from:
www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-names-kathryn-c-brown-new-ceo
Joint Internet Society and Universidad de San Andrés report demonstrates significant cost and performance gains from IXP development in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuado
Joint Internet Society and Universidad de San Andrés report demonstrates significant cost and performance gains from IXP development in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador
Download the report |
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[news release] The Internet Society recently published the results of a study that demonstrates the far-reaching economic and societal benefits of establishing Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in emerging markets. The study, commissioned by the Internet Society and conducted by Professor Hernan Galperin of the Universidad de San Andrés in Argentina, examined the critical cost and performance benefits of IXPs in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador â countries on the leading edge of Internet growth in Latin America.
Analogous with the role that international airports play in airline traffic, IXPs serve as critical hubs for data traffic exchange in the global Internet infrastructure. Over 350 IXPs around the world enable local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Internet backbone carriers to efficiently and cost-effectively exchange Internet traffic. Many emerging markets do not have well-established IXPs, forcing domestic Internet traffic onto long-distance international links, resulting in significantly higher costs and quality of service challenges.
This new study identifies the positive impact that IXPs have made, including reduced telecommunications costs, faster and better local data exchange, and local technical capacity development. For example:
âThis study highlights the critical role that IXPs are playing in Latin America â from human capacity and network development to better quality of service and increased uptake of services,â said Sebastian Bellagamba, Regional Bureau Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Internet Society. âOffering more than just cost and performance benefits, well-run IXPs serve as a catalyst to dramatically enrich a countryâs Internet ecosystem, opening a new world of possibilities with comparably minimal investment. We appreciate the collaboration with Professor Galperin and hope that this study will help inform the dialogue among government, business, and technology leaders of emerging countries to show them the benefits that IXPs can provide for developing partnerships for Internet growth in the region.â
Lead author of the study Hernan Galperin stated, âThis report shows the important role that IXPs have played in the development of the Internet in Latin America. This role is likely to become more important as countries in the region address existing challenges such as network security, the improvement in the quality of services, and the reduction in access prices.â
The study was conducted as part of the Internet Societyâs Internet Traffic Exchange Programme. This programme aims to foster robust, efficient, and cost-effective Internet interconnection environments in emerging economies, and furthers the Internet Societyâs overall mission to promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.
Download the full study in:
Funding for this study was provided in part by Google under the IXP Toolkit & Best Practices Grant Project.
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org.
This ISOC news release was sourced from:
www.internetsociety.org/news/new-study-reveals-how-internet-exchange-points-spur-internet-growth-latin-america
The Internet Society Board of Trustees, during its meeting in Buenos Aires, agreed to increase support for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as an indispensable part of the Internet ecosystem, including making a sizeable financial contribution. They also warned against rash reactions to issues such as pervasive surveillance, which has sparked widespread concern and discussion.
[news release] The Internet Society Board of Trustees, during its meeting in Buenos Aires, agreed to increase support for the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as an indispensable part of the Internet ecosystem, including making a sizeable financial contribution. They also warned against rash reactions to issues such as pervasive surveillance, which has sparked widespread concern and discussion.”Voluntary collaboration guided by a shared set of principles among institutions has been key to the Internet’s amazing success and robustness. Institutions in the Internet ecosystem will continue to evolve in response to new challenges,” stated Robert Hinden, Chair of the Internet Society Board of Trustees.In addition to increasing its own support for the IGF, the Internet Society Board supported the establishment of a legal structure to facilitate financial support by others. The Board further called for strengthening of the distributed and decentralized approach to addressing challenges, and avoiding approaches that would impose borders on the Internet and lead to fragmentation.The Board of Trustees applauded action taken at the recent Internet Engineering Task Force meeting to work on enhancing the security of Internet technology in light of the disclosures about pervasive monitoring on the Internet.President and CEO of the Internet Society Lynn St. Amour commented, “This is a crucial period in the Internet’s development and the Internet Society is committed to working to strengthen the multistakeholder institutions that have been key to sustaining the open and global Internet.”About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org.This Internet Society news release was sourced from:
www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-board-takes-steps-strengthen-existing-internet-governance-institutions
UNESCO, ICANN and the Internet Society (ISOC) are finalizing a framework to establish an Arabic glossary of Internet governance terms to support engagement in multistakeholder Internet governance processes by Arabic-speaking communities
UNESCO, ICANN and the Internet Society (ISOC) are finalizing a framework to establish an Arabic glossary of Internet governance terms to support engagement in multistakeholder Internet governance processes by Arabic-speaking communities.
Participation of all stakeholder and geographical communities is essential for a healthy and vibrant Internet ecosystem. Evidence shows that speakers of languages where Internet terminology does not exist tend to be increasingly disadvantaged in everyday conversation and professional settings, as well as in being able to participate actively in Internet governance processes.
Internet governance sees a constant and rapid introduction of new terms and concepts. This new glossary will help ensure that Arabic-speakers have the necessary language tools to fully participate in and contribute to multistakeholder policy-making processes on various platforms, including the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) and Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
The partners in this project seek to provide methodological assistance to Arabic-speaking countries and communities â particularly national and regional professional organizations working in the field of language policy development and Internet governance. The project will be a collaborative process involving multiple stakeholders, and will also include a public consultation.
As an open, inclusive and fully multistakeholder process, the next step will be a call for national and regional professional organizations in the field of language policies, experts on Internet governance issues and any other volunteer experts to join efforts and consult on the development of terms for the glossary.
If you are interested to contribute to the implementation of this project, please send your expression of interest to Ms Irmgarda Kasinskaite-Buddeberg by email at: i.kasinskaite(at)unesco.org.
This announcement was sourced from the ICANN website at:
www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-27oct13-en.htm