About 3,343 participants have registered on site at the
Hilton Metropole venue of the fifty public meeting of the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in London, reports ITRealms.
President and CEO of ICANN, Mr. Fadi Chehadé, told ITRealms at the opening session on
Monday that today is a great day for advancement of the multistakeholder model and
its inclusivity.
He stressed that ICANN 50 is a milestone meeting for
many reasons, not the least of which is the remarkable affirmations of the
multistakeholder model it has brought and participation of 3,343 as this
morning."
He also commended the Chinese government's adoption of the
Domain Name System Security (DNSSEC) deployment and the expansion of the Internet
Protocol (IPv6) protocol, which would ensure the expansion of the
continued global expansion of the Internet.
He also called for the implementation of the NetMundial for
the Internet community to make progress. While acknowledged the announcements
by both Lebanon and China, "Both are a testament to the world's 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."
Equally speaking, Minister Lu Wei of China's Cyberspace
Affairs Administration told attendees, noted that they all hold one single
aspiration, that is, to improve the governance of the Internet. This is in line
with ICANN's vision of 'One World, One Internet'.
He expressed appreciation and support for the advancements
of the multistakeholder model that framed the NETmundial meeting in Sao Paulo,
Brazil in April.
Minister Lu's comments followed the recognition of the newly
formed Lebanon Internet Center or LINC.
Dr. Imad Hoballah, a member of the LINC Board, said,
"The 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."
The U.K.'s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for
Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Edward Vaizey told participants,
"The 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."
Board Chair, Dr. Stephen Crocker, embraced ICANN's
maturation to meet the needs of an expanding online world. "Our
world, - the Internet world… is constantly evolving, changing to meet the
ever-expanding number of global Internet users."
The Board Chair for the UK Internet registry Nominet,
Baroness Rennie Fritchie said, "We 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."
The First Minister of Wales, the Rt Hon Carwyn James told
participants that in an increasingly globalized world, having a sense of
identity, of course, becomes ever more important.
"The 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," James said.
Photo: ICANN president, Fadi Chehade.
