Note: The following is the output of the real-time captioning taken during the ICANN press conference held 31 October 2003 in Carthage, Tunisia. Although the captioning output is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. It is posted as an aid to understanding the proceedings at the session, but should not be treated as an authoritative record.

ICANN Press Conference
Carthage, Tunisia
Friday, 31 October, 2003

>>MARY HEWITT: GOOD AFTERNOON, AND WELCOME TO OUR WRAP-UP PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE ICANN TUNISIA CONFERENCE.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE.

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, SOME EXCITING THINGS HAPPENED WHILE WE WERE HERE AND WE'D LIKE IT SHARE THEM WITH YOU.

DR. PAUL TWOMEY, OUR CEO AND PRESIDENT OF ICANN, WILL BEGIN WITH A FEW REMARKS TO SUMMARIZE WHAT HAPPENED, AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE -- IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING, PLEASE LET US KNOW.

OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, FEEL FREE TO COME UP TO THIS MICROPHONE HERE AND WE'LL BE SURE THAT YOU GET YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED.
THANK YOU.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU DR. BEJI AND THE TUNISIAN INTERNET AGENCY FOR THE HOSTING OF OUR MEETING HERE THIS WEEK. THE SUPPORT WE'VE RECEIVED, THE HOSPITALITY WE'VE RECEIVED, THE FRIENDLINESS AND THE WARMTH WITH WHICH WE'VE BEEN RECEIVED HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING, AND HAS CERTAINLY IMPRESSED THE FULL ICANN COMMUNITY WITH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT TUNISIA IS TRYING TO DO IN THE I.T. AND TELECOM SPACE BUT ALSO JUST HOW WONDERFUL A PLACE AND HOW WONDERFUL THE PEOPLE ARE HERE IN TUNISIA. WE ARE ALL COMING BACK.

>>FARYEL BEJI: THANK YOU.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: WE HAVE BEEN SO WELL SUPPORTED DURING THIS MEETING ICANN HAS BEEN ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A NUMBER OF ISSUES AT THIS MEETING, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY OF VERY GREAT SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE INTERNET.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK THROUGH A SERIES OF ISSUES AROUND MARKETS THAT OPERATE IN THE TLD FOR THE TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN SPACE.

AND IF I CAN GIVE YOU THE DETAILS ON THAT, THE DECISION WAS MADE HERE BY THE BOARD OF ICANN TO TAKE A TWO-STAGE APPROACH TO MOVE TO THE FULL LIBERALIZATION OF THE MARKET FOR TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS.

TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS, OR GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS, DOT COM, DOT BIZ, DOT INFO, DOT NET, DOT ORG, THOSE SORTS OF DOMAINS.

AND AFTER QUITE A LONG PROCESS OF CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND WITH THE GOVERNMENTS, ICANN HAS NOW MOVED FORWARD WITH A PROGRAM TO INTRODUCE FURTHER COMPETITION OR FURTHER CHOICE IN THOSE MARKETS.

THERE IS A TWO-STEP PROCESS BEING INITIATED. ONE IS A LONG-TERM PROCESS; AND ONE IS A SHORT-TERM PROCESS.

THE SHORT-TERM PROCESS IS TO INITIATE A REQUEST FOR TENDER OR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, AN RFP, FROM CANDIDATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A SPONSORED TLD.

SPONSORED TLDS ARE TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY. EXAMPLES OF SPONSORED TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS ARE, FOR INSTANCE, DOT MUSEUM, WHICH IS A DOMAIN DEDICATED TO THE INTEREST AND THE SUPPORT OF THE MUSEUM COMMUNITY WORLDWIDE. DOT COOP IS A DOMAIN DEDICATED TOWARDS THE COOPERATIVES.

THE RFP FOR NEW PROPOSALS FOR SPONSORED TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS WILL BE POSTED ON THE 15TH OF DECEMBER, 2003.

AND THESE PROPOSALS WILL BE EVALUATED AGAINST A SELECTION CRITERIA, AND THEN THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WILL BE EVALUATED BY AN INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY, AND ICANN SHALL ENTER INTO COMMERCIAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM EARLY IN 2004.
SO THAT THE FIRST DECISION MADE HERE IS THAT, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS, WE SHALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS TO BE ESTABLISHED EARLY IN 2004.

THE SECOND DECISION IS A FUNDAMENTAL DECISION AND IS A HISTORIC DECISION FOR THE INTERNET.

THE SECOND DECISION IS FOR THE PRESIDENT OF ICANN TO INITIATE A PROCESS OVER THE NEXT MONTHS, OVER THE PERIOD OF 2004, TO ESTABLISH THE CONDITIONS AND THE CRITERIA UNDER WHICH THE ABILITY TO APPLY FOR A GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN WILL BE PRESCRIBED, AND THEN THE PROCESS WILL BECOME A CONTINUOUS PROCESS AND A MORE OPEN PROCESS.

THIS IS THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH, FROM THE END OF 2004, FROM THE LAST QUARTER OF 2004, THERE WILL BE NO RESTRICTION ON WHO CAN COME FORWARD AND MAKE AN APPLICATION FOR AND THEN RECEIVE THE RIGHT TO OPERATE A TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN, BUT WILL BE THE PROCESS FOR ACTUALLY FOLLOWING A SERIES OF CONDITIONS WHICH WILL BE DETERMINED.

SO THE PROCESS FOR DETERMINING THOSE CONDITIONS IS A TWO-PART ONE.

THE ISSUES THAT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE QUITE IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CONSIDER AS TO HOW TO HAVE A MORE APPLICATION-BASED OR LICENSE-BASED MODEL NEED TO BE FURTHER EXPLORED BOTH THROUGH EXPERT ADVICE AND CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO STARTING AS OF THE CLOSE OF THIS MEETING, THE PRESIDENT OF ICANN WILL BE SEEKING EXPERT ADVICE FROM EXPERT AGENCIES AROUND THE WORLD AND FROM THE INTERNET COMMUNITY ABOUT THE SORTS OF ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN ANY SETTING OF CRITERIA FOR THE OPENING OF THE GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN SPACE.

FOR INSTANCE, WE WILL BE SEEKING ASSISTANCE FROM AN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS ORGANIZATION ON THE INTRODUCTION OF COMPETITION INTO THE TLD MARKET AND OTHER SIMILAR MARKETS AND ADVICE ON ALLOCATION MECHANISMS AND POSSIBLE APPROPRIATE BUSINESS MODELS.

WE WILL BE REQUESTING A REVIEW AND A REPORT ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS TO BE PROVIDED BY THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION.

WE WILL BE SEEKING ADVICE, EXPERT ADVICE, ON CONSUMER PROTECTION ISSUES, POTENTIALLY TO BE PROVIDED BY CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY.

WE WILL BE SEEKING REPORTS FROM THE INTERNET ARCHITECTURE BOARD AND ICANN'S SECURITY AND STABILITY COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL STABILITY ISSUES RELATED TO THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TLDS, ESPECIALLY PLANNING FOR WHAT TO DO IN THE CASE OF REGISTRY FAILURES.

WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL STEPS THAT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE PLACE IF A REGISTRY FAILED TO ENSURE THAT THE REGISTRANTS WERE PROTECTED AND COULD STILL OPERATE THEIR DOMAINS.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE ADVICE THAT WE WILL BE SEEKING, AND A PART THAT WILL BE OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE ARAB-SPEAKING WORLD AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, IS THAT WE WILL BE SEEKING AN ASSESSMENT FROM THE INTERNET ARCHITECTURE BOARD ON THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL STANDARDS TO SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MULTI-LINGUAL TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS.

WE WILL BE SEEKING EXPERT ADVICE ON WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS THAT MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS THAT APPEAR IN CHARACTER SETS APART FROM ASCII, FOR INSTANCE, THEY COULD APPEAR IN ARABIC, CHINESE CHARACTERS, JAPANESE CHARACTERS, URDU, ET CETERA.

THIS, I THINK, IS A VERY IMPORTANT INITIATIVE TO INCREASINGLY ALLOW THE TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN SPACE TO SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE GLOBAL INTERNET COMMUNITY.

ONCE THIS EXPERT ADVICE HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND COMMUNITY CONSULTATION HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN, WE WILL BE REQUESTING THE GENERIC NAME SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION OF ICANN TO DEVELOP A POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR HOW THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE FRAMED AND WE WILL EXPECT STRONG INPUT FROM OTHER SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS OF ICANN, FROM THE AT-LARGE COMMUNITY, AND FROM THE ADDRESSING COMMUNITY, FROM THE TECHNICAL LIAISONS, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, FROM THE GOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THE FRAMEWORK FOR OPENING THE CONDITIONS FOR AN OPEN MARKET IN TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS.

THE BOARD HAS DIRECTED THE PRESIDENT IN THIS MEETING TO BEGIN TO SEEK COMMUNITY INPUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS STRATEGY AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS MEETING, THE -- ICANN WILL BE ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC FORUM FOR COMMENTS ON NEW GTLD POLICY. AND THAT PUBLIC FORUM WILL OCCUR AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

TLDPOLICY-COMMENTS@ICANN.ORG.


THE BOARD HAS REQUESTED THAT A REPORT ON THE NEW GTLD POLICY SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2004, AND THE NEW GTLD POLICY SHALL COMMENCE BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST, 2004.

SO, JUST TO SUMMARIZE, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT MOVE FORWARD IN THE HISTORY OF THE INTERNET IN TERMS OF THE WAY IN WHICH THE TLD SPACE OPERATES.

THE FIRST CHANGE TO THE NUMBER OF TLDS THAT TOOK PLACE WAS IN -- EARLY IN MID-YEAR 2001, WITH INTRODUCTION OF SEVEN NEW TLDS AS A TEST BED. THIS IS THE PROCESS, LEARNING FROM THAT TEST BED, WHICH WILL THEN MOVE TO HAVING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MARKET OPERATION FOR NEW TLDS.

THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE COVERED IN THE BOARD'S MEETINGS TODAY DEAL WITH SOME SPECIFICS OF HOW VARIOUS REGISTRIES PRESENTLY OPERATE THEIR BUSINESS.

THERE WAS THE APPROVAL OF A PROCESS OF WHAT'S CALLED THE REDEMPTION GRACE PERIOD FOR THE REGISTRY .INFO.

LET ME EXPLAIN THE REDEMPTION GRACE PERIOD. THE REDEMPTION GRACE PERIOD IS AN INSTRUMENT THAT WE USE TO PROTECT CONSUMERS. IF, AT THE TIME, A CONSUMER HAS FAILED TO RENEW THEIR DOMAIN NAME OR HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THEIR DOMAIN NAME AND THEIR DOMAIN NAME EXPIRES, THE REDEMPTION GRACE PERIOD IS A PERIOD THAT THE REGISTRY IS REQUIRED TO LEAVE THAT DOMAIN NAME FREE TO ALLOW THE REGISTRANT TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND RE-APPLY. IT'S A PERIOD WHICH PROTECTS CONSUMERS IN CASE THEY FAILED TO RECEIVE THE NOTICE OR THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON HOLIDAYS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO .INFO HAS PUT FORWARD ITS PROPOSAL FOR HOW TO OPERATE THE REDEMPTION GRACE PERIOD AND IT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD TODAY.

THE BOARD ALSO APPROVED THE PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH ANOTHER TLD, .PRO WHICH FOCUSES ON THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY WHICH WISHES TO CHANGE THEIR OFFERING TO OFFER ONE AT THE SECOND LEVEL. AT THE MOMENT, UNDER ITS CONTRACT, IT'S OPERATING AT THE THIRD LEVEL. SOMETHING .LAW.PRO OR TWOMEY.MEDICAL.PRO. THIS WAS NEGOTIATIONS TO ALLOW THEM TO OFFER TWOMEY.PRO.

THESE, AS YOU SEE, ARE DETAILED ISSUES AROUND THE OPERATIONS OF PARTICULAR TLDS.

THE BOARD ALSO ADOPTED THE GENERIC NAME SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION COUNCIL'S POLICY ON HOW TO DELETE DOMAINS. THIS IS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHEN A DOMAIN HAS EXPIRED, THE REGISTRANT HAS NOT REAPPLIED, AND THE REDEMPTION GRACE PERIOD HAS BEEN COMPLETED, AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T REAPPLIED, SO THEY CLEARLY DO NOT WANT THE DOMAIN ANYMORE. THEN THIS IS A POLICY FOR HOW THOSE DOMAINS THEN WILL BE DELETED FROM THE REGISTRY.

FINALLY, THE BOARD ACTUALLY CONDUCTED THIS MEETING AS AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS STOOD DOWN AT THE END OF HIS TERM, KATOH-SAN, A JAPANESE AT-LARGE REPRESENTATIVE, AND HIS POSITION WAS FULFILLED -- FILLED BY HAGEN HULTZSCH FROM -- WHO IS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM GERMANY.

THE BOARD ALSO CONFIRMED FOR THE COMING TERM THE ELECTION OF MR. VINT CERF AS THE CHAIRMAN AND MR. ALEJANDRO PISANTY OF MEXICO AS THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD.

THE BOARD ALSO NOTED TWO OTHER EVENTS DURING THIS MEETING. ONE IS THAT DURING THE PERIOD OF THIS MEETING, ICANN CELEBRATED ITS FIFTH BIRTHDAY. AND THE SECOND IS THAT, ALSO DURING THE PERIOD OF THIS MEETING, IN PARTICULAR -- PARTICULARLY ON THE 16TH OF OCTOBER, SO A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE MEETING, THE BOARD REMEMBERED -- COMMEMORATED THE DEATH OF MR. JON POSTEL. JON POSTEL WAS, FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME, FOR SOME 30 YEARS, THE FOUNDING OPERATOR OF THE IANA FUNCTION, THE INTERNET ADDRESS NAMING AUTHORITY, AND WAS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO OPERATED MANY OF THE ICANN FUNCTIONS PRIOR TO THE FORMATION OF ICANN, AND PRIOR TO THE FULLY COMMERCIAL INTERNET. AND THE BOARD WISHED TO REITERATE ITS COMMITMENT TO WORK TOWARDS WORKING TOWARD THE GOALS THAT JON STOOD FOR, THE STABLE OPERATION OF THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM AND THE CONTINUED EVOLUTION OF THE INTERNET.

PERHAPS THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT AS A PRESENTATION AND TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS IN PARTICULAR COMING FROM THE POINTS I'VE MADE.

PERHAPS YOU COULD USE THE MICROPHONE.

>>REPORTER: MR. TWOMEY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU IN ADDITION TO THE PROGRESS THAT YOU HAVE MENTIONED IN THE TLDS, DURING THE MEETING IN TUNISIA, DID IT ACHIEVE OTHER RESULTS THAT CAN BE HELPFUL TO DEVELOPING NATIONS SO THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE DIGITAL CAP?

MY SECOND QUESTION PERTAINS TO THE MEETING YOU HAD WITH PRESIDENT BEN ALI. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT AND IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THAT MEETING. THANK YOU.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: PERHAPS TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION -- YOUR SECOND QUESTION FIRST, THE PRESIDENT RECEIVED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, MR. VINT CERF TODAY, IN A MEETING. I WAS NOT GRACED WITH THE PRESIDENT'S PRESENCE.

SO I'M AFRAID I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT MEETING, THOUGH I DO APPRECIATE THAT THE PRESIDENT IS A GREAT ADVOCATE AND HAS A KEEN INTEREST IN THE INTERNET AND I.T. SO I THINK THERE WAS A GREAT DESIRE TO TALK TO DR. CERF ABOUT SOME OF HIS PAST EXPLOITS.

BUT I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THAT MEETING, I'M AFRAID.

TO COME TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION, ONE OF THE OTHER AREAS THAT WE EXPLORED A LOT DURING THIS MEETING IN DETAIL, IN THE SPECIFIC DETAILS, IS THE ISSUE OF INTERNATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAMES. AND INTERNATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAMES BEING THE ABILITY TO WRITE DOMAIN NAMES IN CHARACTERS APART FROM THE ASCII CHARACTER SET.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD ACTUALLY AGREED TO THIS MORNING WAS A PROCESS WHEREBY IN EACH OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT TAKES PLACE IN ICANN, WHETHER IT BE CONCERNING THE WHOIS DATABASES, WHETHER IT BE CONCERNING POTENTIAL NEW TLDS, WHETHER IT'S CONCERNING THE OPERATION OF THE IANA FUNCTION, THAT INTERNATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAMES BE NATURALLY PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS; THAT THEY BE BUILT INTO THE COMMON, EVERYDAY ACTIVITY OF ICANN AND PARTICULARLY ITS IANA FUNCTION.

FOR INSTANCE, THE BOARD HAS INSTRUCTED ME TO ESTABLISH, UNDER THE IANA FUNCTION, AS OF EARLY NEXT WEEK, A REGISTRY INTO WHICH TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN REGISTRIES, WHETHER THEY BE CC REGISTRIES OR GTLD REGISTRIES, CAN ENTER LANGUAGE VARIANCE TABLES FOR THE GLOBAL INTERNET COMMUNITY. THIS IS A VERY TECHNICAL ISSUE AND YET IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE BECAUSE THIS IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH ALL LANGUAGES BEGIN TO APPEAR IN THE TECHNICAL UNDERPINNING OF THE INTERNET AND THE TECHNICAL UNDERPINNING OF THE DNS. AND IT IS THE SIGNIFICANT EMPOWERING DECISION WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIGITAL DIVIDE. IT EMPOWERS -- IT'S AN EMPOWERING PROCESS FOR THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, BECAUSE IT'S NOW BUILDING IN THE CAPACITY OF ALL LANGUAGES TO BE REFLECTED IN THE SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ICANN OVERSEES -- OVERSIGHTS.

SO THAT'S -- AND ICANN ALSO THIS MORNING COMMITTED ITSELF TO CONTINUE TO PLAY A LEADERSHIP ROLE AND A FORUM ROLE FOR THE DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE AROUND THE WORLD AROUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IDNS.

ICANN IS AN ORGANIZATION AND A COMMUNITY WHICH IS BOTTOM-UP. IT IS NOT TOP-DOWN. IT LOOKS TO EXHORT TO PEOPLE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO DRIVE ISSUES UPWARDS. BUT IT IS ALSO THERE AS AN UMBRELLA AND A SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION TO GIVE A PLACE OF FOCUS AND OF ASSISTANCE AND OF HELP AND OF INTERACTION FOR THOSE ACTIVITIES. AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE A LOT THIS WEEK WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THE IDN PROCESS WILL WORK IN THE ARAB SPEAKING WORLD AND HOW TO KEEP THOSE PROCESSES DEVELOPING, AND A COMMITMENT FROM THE ICANN COMMUNITY THAT THAT PROCESS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. SO THAT WE WISH TO SEE THAT THE ARABIC LANGUAGE IDN TO CONTINUE AND TO GROW AND TO BE EFFECTIVE.

SO THAT'S PROBABLY, I THINK, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INITIATIVE THAT CONTINUES TO BE ON OUR AGENDA THAT ADDRESSES THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.

THE OTHER ONE, AS YOU POINTED OUT, WILL BE THAT WE EXPECT BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR THAT THE GTLD SPACE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR APPLICATIONS FROM OTHER LANGUAGE SETS APART FROM ASCII.

>>MARY HEWITT: ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS?
OKAY.
I'D LIKE -- OH, ONE MORE.

>>REPORTER: MR. TWOMEY, JUST TO QUESTION WHAT IS THE POSITION OF ICANN AGAINST THE NEW SERVICE OF VERISIGN TO ACTIVATE THE SITE FINDER FUNCTION. THANKS.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND CAN I GIVE YOU A VERY CAREFUL ANSWER.

VERISIGN INTRODUCED IN SEPTEMBER WHAT THEY DESCRIBE AS A SITE FINDER SERVICE, AND DID SO WITH, AS THEY NOW ACKNOWLEDGE, NO NOTICE TO THE INTERNET COMMUNITY NOR TO ICANN.

INITIALLY, IN PRIVATE CONVERSATION AND THEN IN A PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, WE ASKED VERISIGN TO VOLUNTARILY SUSPEND THE SERVICE PENDING TECHNICAL EVALUATION. VERISIGN FAILED TO DO SO.

SO ON OCTOBER THE 3RD, I COMMUNICATED TO VERISIGN A FORMAL REQUEST THAT THEY SUSPEND THE SITE FINDER SERVICE WITHIN A 48-HOUR PERIOD OR ICANN WOULD INVESTIGATE THE CONTRACTUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND OBLIGATIONS ON BOTH PARTIES. VERISIGN AGREED TO DO SUCH A SUSPENSION.

IN A LETTER ON OCTOBER THE 6TH, I THEN OUTLINED TO VERISIGN THE -- THE STEPS THAT WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN -- I MAY HAVE MY DATES WRONG THERE -- THE STEPS THAT WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN TO EVALUATE SUCH A TECHNICAL -- UNDERTAKE SUCH A TECHNICAL EVALUATION.

THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE A PUBLIC TECHNICAL EVALUATION BY ICANN SECURITY AND STABILITY COMMITTEE, WHICH WOULD THEN REPORT BACK TO ICANN.

THE SECURITY AND STABILITY COMMITTEE, THE MEMBERS OF WHOM WERE ESTABLISHED -- HAD BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO THE SITE FINDER INCIDENT, AND WHICH, BY THE WAY, INCLUDED TWO MEMBERS OF VERISIGN STAFF AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, REPRESENTED SOME HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE INTERNET.

THAT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN HOLDING INPUT SESSIONS AND DIALOGUE TWICE IN NORTH AMERICA, THAT ALSO HELD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS HERE IN TUNISIA WITH THE COMMUNITY, HAVE BEEN TAKING IN INPUT ONLINE, AND WILL BE PREPARING A REPORT FOR THIS MISSION TO ICANN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.

ONCE THAT REPORT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED, ICANN WILL CONSIDER THAT REPORT, AND AS OUTLINED IN THE LETTER OF OCTOBER THE 6TH, MAY CALL FOR FURTHER INPUT, MAY CALL FOR FURTHER DIALOGUE BETWEEN TECHNICAL EXPERTS BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION, IF THE SERVICE IS PUT FORWARD AGAIN, WHETHER TO APPROVE, DISAPPROVE, OR APPROVE WITH CONDITIONS.

AT THE MOMENT, THE SERVICE REMAINS SUSPENDED AND VERISIGN HAS IT SUSPENDED AND THERE IS DIALOGUE GOING ON.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE APPLAUD THE PROCESS THAT VERISIGN IS UNDERTAKING OF CONTINUING TO EXPLORE AND CONSIDER THE PROCESS OF HOW TO DIALOGUE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

THAT'S THE STATUS AT THE MOMENT.

>>MARY HEWITT: ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS?
NO.
OKAY.
THEN I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR. BEJI, THE CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE TUNISIAN INTERNET AGENCY.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: BEFORE WE DO THAT, ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I'D LIKE TO GIVE MY THANKS TO THE TRANSLATORS, WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY FOR US THIS WEEK, AND PARTICULARLY DURING RAMADAN.
I TAKE MY HAT OFF TO THEM TO BE TRANSLATING FOR SUCH A LARGE GROUP EVERY DAY.
SO WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS.

>>FARYEL BEJI: THANK YOU, MR. TWOMEY.

I WILL MAYBE SPEAK FRENCH FOR THIS TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF TUNISIANS.

THANK YOU, DR. PAUL TWOMEY FOR YOUR NICE WORDS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION (INAUDIBLE) THE INCORPORATION THAT YOU HAVE (INAUDIBLE) FOR THIS MEETING AND THIS ICANN CONFERENCE.

BEFORE CONCLUDING, I WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION OF OUR FRIEND FROM THE PRESS JUST TO REMIND HIM THAT IT WASN'T DR. PAUL TWOMEY THAT WAS RECEIVED BY THE PRESIDENT, BUT WAS PROFESSOR VINT CERF, WHO IS THE FATHER OF THE INTERNET.

THAT'S HOW THEY CALL HIM IN THE INTERNET WORLD.

HE CREATED TCP/IP, AND I DON'T REALLY FIND THE WORDS.

OF COURSE, HE WAS RECEIVED BY THE PRESIDENT TODAY, BUT HE IS NOT AMONG US TODAY TO TALK ABOUT IT.

BUT I HAD SEEN HIM RIGHT AFTER HE MET THE PRESIDENT.

HE SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE INTEREST OF THE PRESIDENT TO THIS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO THE INTERNET, AND TO ALL HE HAS GIVEN TO THE SECTOR, HE HEARD ABOUT THIS AND NOW I DISCOVERED IT.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT VINT CERF WAS DECORATED YESTERDAY BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE MINISTER, MR. SADOK RABAH.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THE PRESIDENT ALSO RECEIVED THE INTERNET AWARD FROM VINT CERF.

THIS IS JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

I WOULD LIKE ALSO -- I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DR. PAUL TWOMEY, ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF ICANN, ALL OF OUR GUESTS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR A FEW DAYS FOR THE INTEREST IN OUR COUNTRY, FOR THESE PLEASANT MEETINGS HELD ON OUR SOIL.

AND, OF COURSE, ICANN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OPERATOR OF THE INTERNET IN THE WORLD.

BUT WE HAVE, OF COURSE, SEEN OTHER PEOPLE OPERATING INTERNET IN OUR LAND WHO ALL HAVE -- WHO HAVE HELD MEETINGS IN OUR LAND.

AND I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT YOUR PRESENCE AMONG US IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US, AND OUR FRIENDS FROM THE PRESS WERE NOT HERE THIS MORNING BECAUSE THERE WAS A MEETING WITH THE ICANN MEMBERS.

AND AT THE END OF THAT MEETING, PROFESSOR CERF GAVE A CONCLUSION, HE PRAISED TUNISIA.

AND HE TOLD ME -- AND THANKED THE GOVERNMENT, THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION, THE TUNISIAN AGENCY FOR THE INTERNET FOR THAT SUPPORT.

AND I REALLY AM PROUD OF THAT.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO -- THIS IS NOT THE LAST -- I HOPE IT'S NOT THE LAST MEETING OF ICANN IN TUNISIA.

THANK YOU ALL.

AND THANK YOU.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THANK YOU.

>>MARY HEWITT: THANK YOU FOR COMING.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESS CONFERENCE.
(PRESS CONFERENCE CONCLUDED.)