1,800 participants @ ICANN 47 public meeting in Durban

Estimated 1,800 participants are taking part in the on-going public meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the city of Durban, South Africa.

Disclosing this to ITRealms was the chief executive officer and president of ICANN, Mr. Fadi Chehade during his opening remarks at the Durban 47 on Monday.

According to him, 1,800 attendees from 92 countries are taking part in the meeting while South Africa has about 10 per cent of the today, that is, in excess of 100 participants.

He commended Africa and South Africa specifically for the agreeing to host ICANN public meeting 47.

Chehade, enjoined Africans to imbibe the spirit of Madiba in the development of Internet on the continent.

Also, he urged participants to deploy this kind of spirit in engagement of one another, learning and sharing throughout the public meeting, so as to leave Africa and the entire ICANN global committee, mostly by the end of the meeting.

The day was closed with an event by AFRALO which began with entertainment from local dancers from Durban.

 

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ICANN president says Africa is fastest growing continent

ICANN press conference @Durban47: L-r Vice President, ICANN Stakeholder Engagement

 for Africa, Mr. Pierre Dandjinou, ICANN President, Mr. Fade Chehade, chairman, board

of directors, Dr. Steven Crocker, chairman of the Africa Strategic Working Group, Dr. Nii Quaynor.

President and chief executive officer of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Mr. Fadi Chehade has described Africa as a hopeful continent and fastest growing continent in the world.

This is coming as he said that ICANN is changing its DNA in order to walk the talk when it comes to multi-stakeholderism spirit.

Speaking to ITRealms at a press conference at the ongoing 47 public meeting of ICANN in Durban, South Africa, Mr. Chehade who was accompanied at the session by the chairman, board of directors of ICANN, Dr. Steven Crocker, chairman of the Africa Strategic Working Group, Dr. Nii Quaynor and Vice President for Africa at ICANN on Stakeholder Engagement, Mr. Pierre Dandjinou, said that 1 out of every six Africa have access to the Internet today.

He said, ICANN is positive to be in Africa to present ICANN to Africa and the world, just as he believes ICANN have the mechanism to address growth issues in the Domain Name industry, especially regarding the post-agreement signing with some ICANN registrars based on the new Registrar Accredited Agreement (RAA).

According to him, Africa made history today with the signing of the performed on its soil, assuring that ICANN has to move on with its vision carefully, stressing that his organization is determined to evolve with other global organization with similarity in its agenda to work together.

Internet, he said, is a different kind of resource that no one single country or organization can manage single-handedly including ICANN.

ICANN, he further said, should evolve as an oasis by being all inclusive.

“We’re changing the DNA of ICANN by hiring outside the US,” he said, adding that ICANN included in the latest RAA the rights of registrars, so they should be seen as part of ICANN but not ICANN customers.

For Mr. Pierre Dandjinou, his appointment is a new season for Africa, even as ICANN depends largely on partnership by making Africa real and help in development the DNS industry.

He urged African government to have a rethink on how they see the Internet and its governance because of its benefits, which are enormous.

ICANN 47 public meeting as it has been tagged, began on Sunday, July 14 and would last till Thursday, July 18, 2013, at the International Conference Centre (ICC) Durban.

 

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