ICANN|ARCHIVES

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: WE WILL START IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES.

OKAY. SO I THINK WE CAN START.

FIRST OF ALL, ON BEHALF OF THE MULTI-CONSTITUENCY ORGANIZING GROUP WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO THIS WORKSHOP ON THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY. THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKSHOP IS ARTICULATED IN TWO POINTS. THE FIRST IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO YOU ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH WSIS ON THE ISSUES THAT WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT ICANN. AND THE SECOND IS TO DISCUSS THE OUTPUT AND THE NEXT STEPS FOR ALL THE CONSTITUENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT WSIS AND ABOUT THE COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DNS.

SO WHILE I GUESS MOST OF YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT WSIS IS. BUT, BASICALLY, IT IS A PROCESS IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENTS ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES AND BASICALLY TO DEFINE THE CONCEPT OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDEFINED. ONE MIGHT ASSUME THAT THIS CONCEPT WILL CONSTITUTE WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE AT ICANN. AND SO THIS IS WHY THE PROCESS WILL BASICALLY AFFECT THE WAY WE USED TO WORKING HERE.

SO YOU SHOULD HAVE AN AGENDA POSTED ON THE SCREEN.

OKAY. SO YOU HAVE IT. AND WE WILL START WITH PRESENTATION BY PAUL TWOMEY AND BY MARKUS KUMMER. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE AN OPEN MICROPHONE FOR AUDIENCE DISCUSSION.

SO I THINK I CAN JUST GO AND INTRODUCE OUR FIRST SPEAKER, WHICH IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ICANN, PAUL TWOMEY. AND HE WILL GIVE US ANOTHER VIEW OF WSIS AS IT RELATES TO ICANN STAKEHOLDERS. SO, PLEASE.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: WELL, THANK YOU, VITTORIO, AND THANKS VERY MUCH TO THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE INVITATION TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS MORNING.

JUST AS AN ASIDE, CAN I JUST SAY HOW PLEASED I AM ABOUT THE -- SORT OF THE HISTORY OF THIS CONSTITUENCY PLANNING GROUP THAT'S HELPED BRING TOGETHER THE DISCUSSIONS ON THE WSIS IN THE LAST TWO MEETINGS.

AS FAR AS THE STAFF OF ICANN ARE CONCERNED, I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE -- HOW THE MULTI-CONSTITUENCY BOTTOM-UP PROCESS WORKS IN ICANN. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE REGISTRIES HAVE COME TOGETHER AND ORGANIZED THESE CONSULTATIONS AND SORT OF THE LAST PEOPLE TO GET TOLD ARE THE STAFF, REALLY. SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE SORT OF ICANN IN PRACTICE, IF YOU LIKE.

THE WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY I CONSIDER TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDA OF THE EARLY PART OF THE 21ST CENTURY. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THIS PROCESS IN THE U.N. SYSTEM COMMENCED TWO YEARS AGO. IT IS A TWO-PART SUMMIT AND SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL IN THAT SENSE. THE FIRST PART WAS -- HAD THE ITU AS ONE OF THE HOSTING ORGANIZATIONS AND CONCLUDED WITH THE GENEVA CONFERENCE. AND THEN SECOND PART HAS THE GOVERNMENT OF TUNISIA AS THE MAIN HOST ORGANIZATION AND WILL CONCLUDE IN 2005 WITH THE SUMMIT IN TUNIS.

I'D PARTICULARLY LIKE TO WELCOME MARKUS KUMMER, A MEMBER OF THE SWISS DIPLOMATIC CORE. HE HAS AN ESTEEMED REPUTATION, NOT LEAST BECAUSE HE WAS SEEN TO BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME LAST YEAR IN GENEVA. AND HE HAS BEEN TASKED BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO HELP GIVE ADVICE TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL ABOUT ONE OF THE INSTRUMENTS THAT EMERGED FROM THE GENEVA MEETING, THAT IS, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WORKING GROUP ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE. THAT WORKING GROUP TO BE APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL AND TO WRITE A REPORT FOR THE TUNIS SUMMIT.

SO, MARKUS, WELCOME.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR INTERACTION FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS Y DOES THIS REALLY MATTER FOR THE ICANN CONSTITUENCIES?

FIRST MESSAGE, I THINK, IS THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IS A HUGE ISSUE.

AND EVEN THE PHRASE "INTERNET GOVERNANCE," I THINK IS A VERY LARGE, LARGE ARENA, MUCH BROADER THAN WHAT THE COMMUNITY WITHIN ICANN FOCUS ON. THERE ARE MANY LAYERS OF THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE INTERNET, AND THEN LAYERS OF THE BUSINESS AND SOCIAL MODELS AND APPLICATIONS THAT ARE BUILT ON THE INTERNET. ALL OF THOSE ARE SUPPORTERS OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY, AND ALL OF THOSE ARE POTENTIALLY WORTHY OF COMMENT AND CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE.

BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT ONE OF THE PROBABLY MORE ORGANIZED ASPECTS OF THAT PROCESS TO DATE IS THIS COMMUNITY THAT HAS COME TOGETHER TO HELP ADDRESS AND SOLVE PROBLEMS AT THE TECHNICAL COORDINATION LEVEL FOR THE ADDRESSING AND DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM. SO INTERNET GOVERNANCE IS AN ISSUE MUCH BROADER THAN ICANN.

AND ICANN CONSTITUENCIES HAVE A MUCH BROADER SENSE THAT THINGS SUCH AS SPAM, EGOVERNMENT, WHAT HAPPENS WITH CERTAIN TYPES OF FRAUDS, HOW DO YOU COORDINATE ISSUES AROUND ETAXATION, ET CETERA, ARE NOT THE PURVIEW OF ICANN, NOR DOES ICANN CONSTITUENCIES AS FORMALLY CONSTITUTED NECESSARILY HAVE A PERSPECTIVE. SO IN MANY OF THESE AREAS, WE WOULD WELCOME INITIATIVES TAKEN TO HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THESE AREAS PRESENT.

BUT WHERE THIS UNIQUE STRUCTURE, THIS UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL MULTI-STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATION CAN ACTUALLY BRING SOME STRENGTH AND SOME EVIDENCE AND SOME WITNESS TO THE BENEFITS OF HAVING TECHNICAL COORDINATION, TECHNICAL COMMUNITY, ACADEMIC COMMUNITY, VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BUSINESS, ASPECTS OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENTS WORKING TOGETHER ON PRACTICAL PROBLEMS WHICH ADDRESS A TRULY GLOBAL INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE, WE THINK WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT AND, IMPORTANTLY, LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT.

IT'S AN OFT-USED PHRASE, PERHAPS TOO MUCH USED, BUT THE IDEA THAT THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT WORKS VERY WELL WITH VERY LARGE VOLUMES OF TRANSACTIONS IN TERMS OF RESOLUTIONS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE MANAGED CAREFULLY GOING FORWARD I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.

I CALL UPON ALL OF YOU HERE IN THIS ROOM AND ONLINE TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS WORLD SUMMIT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE FEEDBACK AND PARTICIPATE TODAY, TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND MUCH OF WHAT YOU AS A COMMUNITY HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST 5, 10, AND FOR SOME OF NEW THIS ROOM, THE LAST 35 YEARS, IS BUILD ONE OF THE TRULY UNIQUE -- EXCUSE THE POOR ENGLISH -- GLOBAL PHENOMENONS.

THE INTERNET, 200,000 INTERCONNECTED NETWORKS, KNOWS NO NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. IT CONNECTS NEARLY A BILLION PEOPLE TOGETHER. THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM SUPPORTS SOME 18 BILLION RESOLUTIONS A DAY. THAT SYSTEM HAS TRULY DEVELOPED BECAUSE TECHNICAL PEOPLE, BUSINESS PEOPLE, GOVERNMENT PEOPLE, ACADEMIC COMMUNITIES IN PARTICULAR HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS THAT ARE TRULY GLOBAL PROBLEMS. THE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS DON'T KNOW BOUNDARIES. AND ONE OF THE VERY IMPORTANT PARTS ABOUT THAT SYSTEM, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PARTS ABOUT THAT SYSTEM, IS THAT POLITICIZING THAT SYSTEM, PUTTING THAT SYSTEM AT RISK OR AT THREAT OR AT HOSTAGE TO OTHER AGENDAS AND OTHER LOGICS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TECHNOLOGY IS POTENTIALLY VERY HARMFUL, AND IT HAS -- THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, I THINK, WOULD LOOM VERY LARGE IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT.

SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SHARE A LOT OF THAT AND EXPRESS OUR KNOWLEDGE, OUR EXPERIENCE, AND LOOK FORWARD TO EAGERLY ENGAGING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FULLY ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE INVOLVED.

SO ONCE AGAIN, I THANK THE WORKING GROUP VERY MUCH FOR CONVENING THIS AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE DETAILS OF TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR PAUL TWOMEY?

SO THANK YOU, PAUL.

SO I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INTRODUCE MARKUS KUMMER WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE COORDINATOR, SECRETARIAT ON THE WORKING GROUP ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE.

>>MARKUS KUMMER: GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, VITTORIO, AND THANK YOU, PAUL, FOR THE INTRODUCTION.

I VERY MUCH SHARE THIS VIEW THAT IT IS VITAL FOR THE ICANN COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE IN THE DIALOGUE AHEAD OF US UNDER THE TITLE WORKING GROUP ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE. I WOULD LIKE TO, IN MY BRIEF PRESENTATION, TO LOOK BACK A BIT, WHERE WE COME FROM, BEFORE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT WHAT WE ARE PLANNING AND HOW WE ARE PLANNING TO SET ABOUT OUR TASK.

LET ME START WITH, FIRST, AN ASSESSMENT OF THE RESULTS OF GENEVA.

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT INTERNET GOVERNANCE WAS AN ISSUE WHEN GENEVA FAILED TO FIND A SOLUTION, BUT I WOULDN'T SEE THAT IN THE SAME WAY. I WOULD RATHER SEE IT AS A BEGINNING OF A BROAD-BASED, MULTI-LATERAL PROCESS ON THIS ISSUE. IT IS AN ISSUE WHERE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE SIGNALED THEY HAD AN INTEREST IN. IT'S TRUE, THEY COULDN'T FIND SOLUTIONS STRAIGHT AWAY, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESUMABLY NAIVE TO THINK THAT THEY WOULD FIND SOLUTIONS.

BUT THE WAY FORWARD, THEN, WAS AS PAUL ALREADY ALLUDED TO, TO GIVE A MANDATE TO THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL TO SET UP A WORKING GROUP, AND THE WORKING GROUP WILL HAVE TO PRODUCE RESULTS IN VIEW OF THE SECOND PHASE OF TUNIS.

BUT I WOULD ALSO SET THIS ACTIVITY IN A FAR BROADER CONTEXT IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO ORGANIZE GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON HOW TO ADAPT INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE TO THE NEEDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY WHERE GOVERNANCE ACTUALLY REALIZED AND RECOGNIZED THAT THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY RELEVANT ACTOR ANYMORE; THAT THEY HAVE TO ASSOCIATE BUSINESS, THEY HAVE TO ASSOCIATE CIVIL SOCIETY. AND THIS HAS TO BE SEEN ALSO IN THE BROAD CONTEXT OF U.N. REFORM AND HOW TO ADAPT THE U.N. SYSTEM TO THESE NEW CHALLENGES.

THE BASIS AND THE PARAMETERS FOR THE WORKING GROUP ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE ARE SET BY THE GENEVA DECLARATIONS. THE PRINCIPLES THEREIN ARE, ON THE ONE HAND, PRINCIPLES AS WE ARE USED TO THEM IN INTERNATIONAL FORA; THAT IS, TRANSPARENCY, DEMOCRACY, MULTILATERALISM.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE INTERNET, AND THEY TAKE NOTE THAT THE INTERNET BY NOW IS, INDEED, A GLOBAL PHENOMENON, AND IT IS DESCRIBED IN THE DECLARATION AS A GLOBAL FACILITY.

AGAIN, I THINK IT CAN ALSO BE SEEN AS AN ULTIMATE TRIBUTE PAID BY STATES, MEMBER STATES OF THE U.N. AT THE VERY HIGHEST LEVEL, WHEN HEADS OF STATE AND HEADS OF GOVERNMENT WERE PRESENT IN GENEVA, THAT THEY ACTUALLY SHOWED HOW MUCH IMPORTANCE THEY ATTACHED TO THE INTERNET.

LET ME BRIEFLY GO BACK TO THE ARGUMENTS THAT I PUT FORWARD DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS. WE NEVER ACTUALLY HAD VERY MUCH DETAILED TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS; THAT IS, THEN, WHY WE HAD TO SET UP THIS WORKING GROUP. BUT THE DEBATE WAS VERY MUCH SUPERFICIAL. AND THOSE WHO WANTED TO PUT THE ISSUE ON THE AGENDA MADE SOME OF THESE ARGUMENTS THAT YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE. THEY WANTED, FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO SEE THE U.N. BEING BROUGHT IN AND TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE ON HOW TO GOVERN THE INTERNET. HOWEVER, IT WAS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THIS WOULD NOT MEAN A REPLACEMENT OF ANY EXISTING SYSTEM, BUT IT WILL BE, RATHER, COMPLEMENTARY, AND IT SHOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL LAYER TO PRESENT STRUCTURES.

THE SECOND SCHOOL OF THOUGHT LARGELY PRESENTED HERE, I THINK, IN THIS ROOM ALWAYS MADE THE POINT THAT THE PRESENT SYSTEM ACTUALLY WORKS WELL; WHAT IS THE PROBLEM; WHAT ARE WE ADDRESSING. AND THE MOTTO USED, "IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT" BECAME VERY POPULAR, AND I'VE HEARD OF MANY A TIMES SINCE. BUT THESE RECENT ARGUMENTS WERE, OF COURSE, ALSO TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND I COME TO THAT.

THE AGENDA OF THE WORKING GROUP ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE WILL HAVE TO BE SET BY THE WORKING GROUP ITSELF.

AS I SAID, IN THE NEGOTIATIONS WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GIVE A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM, AND WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO ACTUALLY AGREE ON WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING. BUT THERE ARE CLEARLY, AS I'VE SEEN IN PAST CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS AND WORKSHOP, I WOULD SEE THERE'S A CLEAR TENDENCY TO SEE, ALSO AS PAUL HAS OUTLINED, TO SEE INTERNET GOVERNANCE IN A MUCH BROADER CONTEXT; TO SEE IT AS A MULTI-LAYERED, MULTI-FACETED PHENOMENON, AND TO INCLUDE ISSUES SUCH AS NETWORK SECURITY, IP RIGHTS, CONSUMER PROTECTION, DATA PROTECTION, SPAM, AND MULTILINGUALISM, AND MANY OTHER RELATED ISSUES.

THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE WORKING GROUP ARE CONTAINED IN THE GENEVA DOCUMENTS. THE ORDER THEY'RE IN, AGAIN, IT'S AN ORDER THAT WAS NEGOTIATED, AND I -- ACTUALLY, THERE WAS ONE PRESENTED AS A CHAIRMAN'S PAPER IN THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR IT. AND LOOKING AT IT NOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN MORE THOUGHT TO THE ORDER WE PRESENTED IN. AND I WOULD DEFINITELY SEE FOR THE FUTURE WORK PROGRAM RATHER A REVERSAL OF THE ORDER OF THIS, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO THE FACT-FINDING FIRST, THAT WE WOULD AT THE END DEVELOP OF A WORKING DEFINITION OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE.

THE WORKING GROUP WILL HAVE AS ITS MAIN DELIVERABLE, AS WE ALREADY SAID, TO PRODUCE A REPORT, A REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF THIS ACTIVITY; THAT IS, TO INVESTIGATE IN THESE ISSUES I HAD SHOWN IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. AND THIS SHOULD BE PRESENTED FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROPRIATE ACTION FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF WSIS IN TUNIS.

IT IS, IN ESSENCE, VERY MUCH OF A FACT-FINDING MISSION. AND IF THE WORKING GROUP COMES TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTIONS, THEN THEY CAN BE MADE. BUT AS ALWAYS, OR AS MOST IS THE CASE IN U.N. CONTEXT, THERE'S ALWAYS THE MAGIC WORD "APPROPRIATE," WHICH MEANS THERE MAY BE RECOMMENDATIONS OR THEY MAY NOT BE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE ACTION.

I HAVE ALSO ADDED HERE A FEW ELEMENTS REGARDING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORKING GROUP AND THE PROFILE OF ITS MEMBERS, AND THAT IS, I THINK, A PHASE WE ARE RIGHT IN NOW.

WE HAVE TO DISCUSS WHAT THE WGIG SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT ITS MEMBERS SHOULD BE. AND THERE ARE VARIOUS ELEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

THE GROUP OBVIOUSLY WILL BE A DRAFTING GROUP, AND OBVIOUSLY IT CANNOT BE -- MEET IN A PLENARY MODE. IT WILL HAVE TO BE RESTRICTED WITH REGARD TO ITS MEMBERSHIP. BUT NEVERTHELESS, IT NEEDS TO BE BIG ENOUGH TO BE REPRESENTATIVE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT SHOULD BE SMALL ENOUGH TO BE EFFICIENT.

SO THERE WILL BE A BORDERLINE, WHEN IS THE GROUP TOO BIG TO BE EFFICIENT AND WHEN IS THE GROUP TOO SMALL TO BE REPRESENTATIVE. IDEALLY, WE HAD SET TO BEGIN WITH THAT WE COULD SEE, THAT IS, SIMILAR AS PREVIOUS GROUPS, PANELS, THAT WERE SET UP BY THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL; A GROUP OF 15 TO 20 PEOPLE MIGHT BE THE IDEAL SIZE IN ORDER TO BE EFFICIENT, BUT IT MAY NOT BE BIG ENOUGH IN ORDER TO BE REPRESENTATIVE. SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT. AND OF COURSE WE ALSO WILL HAVE TO NEED TO LOOK AT THE PROFILE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT THE GROUP IN ITSELF SHOULD HAVE -- SHOULD BE ABLE TO RELY ON ENOUGH EXPERTISE TO DO JUSTICE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE TASK; THAT WE NEED TEAM PLAYERS AS MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WHO ARE WILLING TO BUILD BRIDGES AND TO FIND COMPROMISE WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION AT THE OUTSET. BUT WE ALSO NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE RESPECTED WITHIN THEIR RESPECTED CONSTITUENCIES, AND WHO CARRY WEIGHT WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENCIES, AND HOPEFULLY CAN CONVINCE THEIR MEMBERS.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK THAT THERE WILL BE A CONSIDERABLE COMMITMENT AS REGARDS TIME AND THE MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO PUT IN A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WORK.

THE PROCESS AHEAD OF US WILL BE ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS THE SUBSTANCE, AND IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO GET THE BASIS OF THIS PROCESS RIGHT.

AGAIN, THE GENEVA DOCUMENTS, THEY SET THE PARAMETERS FOR THE PROCESS. THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE OPEN AND INCLUSIVE. THIS MAY BE SEEN AS A SLIGHT CONTRADICTION TO WHAT I SAID BEFORE WHEN I SAID THAT THE GROUP WILL HAVE TO BE RESTRICTED WITH REGARD TO ITS MEMBERSHIP, BUT MAYBE WE COME TO THE DISCUSSION -- IN THE DISCUSSION, WE CAN ALSO SEE HOW THIS CHARACTERISTIC OF OPEN AND INCLUSIVE CAN BE COMBINED WITH THE RESTRICTIVE MEMBERSHIP.

AND AGAIN, A VERBATIM QUOTE FROM THE GENEVA DOCUMENTS, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THIS MECHANISM ALLOWING FOR THE FULL AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF GOVERNMENTS, PRIVATE SECTOR, AND CIVIL SOCIETY, AND ALSO IMPORTANT QUALIFIER THAT DEVELOPING COUNTRY PARTICIPATION WILL BE ESSENTIAL.

THERE ARE, WITH REGARD TO THE PROCESS, THREE PRIORITIES WHICH CAN BE READ OUT OF THE DISCUSSION. ONE OF THEM, THAT NO SINGLE ORGANIZATION WAS DEEMED TO BE IN CHARGE OF THE PROCESS. AND THAT WAS THE REASON WHY THE SUMMIT GAVE A DIRECT MANDATE TO THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL TO SET UP THE WORKING GROUP.

THE SECOND PRIORITY I READ OUT OF THE DISCUSSIONS IS THAT, AGAIN, THAT RELATES TO THE OPEN AND INCLUSIVENESS OF THE PROCESS; THAT ALL STAKEHOLDERS WILL HAVE TO BE GIVEN EQUAL ACCESS TO THE WORK OF THE GROUP. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, BUT THAT THE PROCESS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE OPEN. AND THE INTERACTION OF THE WORKING GROUP IN AN OPEN-ENDED MODE IN BETWEEN CLOSED MEETINGS WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL FEATURE OF THE PROCESS.

AND THE THIRD OF THESE PROCESS-RELATED PRIORITIES REGARDS THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING COUNTRY PARTICIPATION.

PARTICIPATION MEANS NOT JUST TRAVELING COSTS. IT IS AN ISSUE. THEY WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL, MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, BUT ALSO EXPERTS THAT MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED TO THE GROUP WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL TO GO TO GENEVA, PHYSICALLY THERE. BUT IT'S ALSO A QUESTION OF CAPACITY BUILDING, WHEN QUITE OFTEN SOME GOVERNMENTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FIND IT DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW THE DISCUSSIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT FORA.

AND THERE, I DO HOPE WE'LL DO WHAT WE NEED FOR FINANCES AND I DO HOPE TO FIND DONORS WHO SHARE THIS SENSE OF PRIORITY.

THE SECRETARIAT HAS STARTED FUNCTIONING AS FROM 1ST OF JULY, AND IT'S PRINCIPAL MANDATE IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE WORKING GROUP, AND THEN ONCE THE GROUP WILL BE ESTABLISHED, TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, AND SUBSTANTIVE SUPPORT TO THE WORKING GROUP ITSELF.

AS THERE IS NO BUDGET LINE AVAILABLE IN THE BUDGET OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO FINANCE THESE ACTIVITIES, IT WILL HAVE TO BE FINANCED THROUGH VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS. A TRUST FUND HAS BEEN SET UP TO THIS END, AND I HAVE STARTED ALSO FUND-RAISING ACTIVITIES.

WE HAVE PLANNED OUR PROCESS AHEAD, AND ESSENTIALLY, ON A TENTATIVE ROADMAP AHEAD, THEY ARE THREE MAIN PHASES.

WE ARE NOW IN THE FIRST PREPARATORY PHASE, STARTING WITH THE SETTING UP OF THE SECRETARIAT. AND THE SECOND PHASE WOULD THEN GO FROM NOVEMBER 2004 TO JUNE 2005, WHICH WOULD BE THE PREPARATION OF THE REPORT. AND THE THIRD PHASE WOULD BE AFTER THE REPORT HAS BEEN ISSUED; THE PREPARATION OF THE SUMMIT AND THE EXPLANATION OF THE REPORT. THE FIRST PHASE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, AS I SAID, THE SECRETARIAT HAS BEEN SET UP, ALBEIT IT'S VERY SMALL RIGHT NOW. IT CONSISTS OF MYSELF AND ONE ADDITIONAL COLLEAGUE. BUT GRADUALLY WE HOPE TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL BY OCTOBER 2004.

WE HAVE STARTED CONSULTATIONS, AND I SEE THIS GATHERING HERE AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF CONSULTATIONS WITH GOVERNMENTS AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WORKING GROUP, AND WE HAVE RESERVED DATES. 20TH, 21ST OF SEPTEMBER FOR A ROUND OF OPEN-ENDED CONSULTATION, OPEN TO ALL GOVERNMENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO BE HELD IN GENEVA ON 20-21ST OF SEPTEMBER.

THE COMPOSITION OF THE WORKING GROUP SHOULD THEN BE COMPLETED BY OCTOBER 2004. ONCE THE WORKING GROUP IS APPOINTED, THEN THE SUBSTANTIVE WORK WILL START. TENTATIVELY, WE COULD IMAGINE FOUR MEETINGS OF THE WORKING GROUP, AND THESE MEETINGS WILL HAVE TO BE INTERSPERSED WITH OPEN-ENDED CONSULTATIONS WITH ALL GOVERNMENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS. AND THE FIRST OF THESE CONSULTATIONS WE WILL TRY AND ORGANIZE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO PREPCOM2 ON 15TH, 16TH FEBRUARY 2005 SO THAT DELEGATES ATTENDING THE PREPCOM IN GENEVA WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH THE WORKING GROUP PRIOR TO THE PREPCOM.

AT THE PREPCOM1 OF THE WSIS IT WAS DECIDED THAT PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE WORKING GROUP SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE PREPCOM2 IN FEBRUARY OF 2005.

THEN AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF OPEN-ENDED CONSULTATIONS, A SECOND ROUND, WHICH WOULD BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THE WORK AS IT WILL BE FURTHER ADVANCED, SHOULD BE HELD MAYBE IN APRIL OR MAY. AND BASED ON THE LAST ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS, THE WORKING GROUP COULD THEN DRAFT ITS REPORT, AND THE REPORT SHOULD BE ISSUED NOT LATER THAN JULY 2005.

ONCE THE REPORT IS ISSUED, THEN THE WORKING GROUP WILL ACCOMPANY THE PROCESS UNTIL THE TUNIS SUMMIT. AND HOPEFULLY, THE MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP WILL BE ABLE TO SELL THE REPORT TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSTITUENCIES. AND THEN IT WILL BE OUT OF THE HAND OF THE WORKING GROUP AND IT WILL BE UP TO THE PREPCOM TO TAKE OVER THE PROCESS. AND IT IS FORESEEN THEN THAT THE SECRETARIAT WILL BE GRADUALLY SCALED DOWN AS THIS IS A PROJECT SET UP TO LAST UNTIL THE SUMMIT OF TUNIS.

NOW, TO CONCLUDE, LET ME COME TO THE MAIN PRIORITIES FOR THIS VERY FIRST PHASE WE'RE IN. THERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO HAVE BROAD-BASED CONSULTATIONS ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WORKING GROUP. WE NEED TO DISCUSS ITS STRUCTURE AND WORKING METHODS. WE NEED TO DISCUSS THE PROFILE OF ITS MEMBERS, AND WE NEED TO DISCUSS THE SCOPE OF ITS WORK WITHOUT PREJUDGING THE DISCUSSIONS WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP ITSELF.

AND THE OBJECTIVE WOULD BE THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL GOVERNMENTS AND ALL MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS FEEL REPRESENTED BY THE WORKING GROUP ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE. AND I LOOK VERY MUCH FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION TODAY AND DURING THE REST OF THE WEEK BILATERALLY OR ON PLENARY MODE. AND I THINK THE INPUT OF THE ICANN CONSTITUENCY WILL BE VERY ESSENTIAL TO THIS DISCUSSION, AND I WILL ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO SEE YOU IN THE CONSULTATIONS WE WILL HAVE IN SEPTEMBER IN GENEVA.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

(APPLAUSE.)

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: YES. BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE DISCUSSION, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO MR. KUMMER ON HIS PRESENTATION?
WE HAVE ONE FROM THE PODIUM.

>>IZUMI AIZU: YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARKUS, TO HAVE A LONG FLIGHT AND COME HERE.

>>DENISE MICHEL: EXCUSE ME. I JUST WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE CAPTURING THE PROCEEDINGS, AND THEY ARE BEING WEB-CAST. SO PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR AFFILIATION BEFORE YOU SPEAK.

>>IZUMI AIZU: MY NAME IS IZUMI AIZU, MEMBER OF AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FROM ASIA-PACIFIC. THE QUESTION -- I HAVE TWO SHORT QUESTIONS. ONE IS, BEFORE YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING AN EXPERT GROUP OR KIND OF ADVISORY GROUP IN ADDITION TO THE WORKING GROUP. IS IT -- IS THAT IDEA STILL THERE?

AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS THE DEFINITION OF "OPEN-ENDED." I LEARNED THAT SOMETIMES IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE OPEN PROCESS.

THANK YOU.

>>MARKUS KUMMER: YES.
THANK YOU.
WELL, THE IDEA IS ALSO TO THINK OF AN ADVISORY BOARD, BUT THESE ARE VERY, SHALL WE SAY, EARLY REFLECTIONS, AND IT WOULD BE CONSTITUTED OF SHALL WE SAY CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE, INSTITUTIONS, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS.

I TALKED, FOR INSTANCE, WITH CERN IN GENEVA. THEY WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN AN ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH WOULD MEAN THEY WOULD NOT BE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE WORKING GROUP, BUT THEY COULD TURN TO THEM, ASK THEM FOR ADVICE, AND THEY WOULD ALSO HELP, OBVIOUSLY, WE SHOULD NOT JUST HAVE CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE AROUND GENEVA OR NORTH AMERICA, BUT WE SHOULD LOOK TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND LOOK TO SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS.

AS I SAID, THESE ARE EARLY STAGES OF REFLECTION. BUT I THINK WE COULD GAIN FROM HAVING SUCH AN ADVISORY BOARD SURROUNDING OUR ACTIVITIES. EXPERT GROUPS, THAT'S -- WE WILL HAVE ALL FLEXIBILITY TO DO THAT ON AN AD HOC BASIS SHOULD THE WORKING GROUP SO DESIRE OR REQUIRE THAT ONE ISSUE MIGHT NEED TO BE DEEPENED, THEN AN EXPERT GROUP COULD BE SET UP. BUT I THINK, AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE PREMATURE. WE WILL FIRST HAVE TO ALSO SEE WHAT THE SCOPE OF THE WORK WILL BE AS WE SET UP THE GROUP.

YOU ALLUDED TO MY LONG FLIGHT, WHICH MAY BE THE REASON WHY I CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR OTHER QUESTION.

(LAUGHTER.)

>>IZUMI AIZU: OPEN OR OPEN-ENDED.

>>MARKUS KUMMER: YES, OPEN OR OPEN-ENDED.

YES, WHILE THESE MAY BE -- I THINK WE SHOULD NOT ENGAGE IN A DEFINITION OF WHAT WE ME WITH "OPEN" OR "OPEN-ENDED." BUT IT IS CLEAR -- THE "OPEN" REFERRING TO THIS PROCESS SEEN AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE GENEVA NEGOTIATIONS MEANS MORE OPEN THAN THE WSIS PROCESS ITSELF. THAT IS, THE PROCESS SHOULD GO BEYOND THE RULES OF PROCEDURES SET BY GOVERNMENTS FOR THE WSIS PROCESS.

CONCRETELY, THE NEGOTIATION -- THE NEGOTIATIONS -- THE CONSULTATIONS IN SEPTEMBER, WE SENT OUT THE INVITATIONS TO THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS. THEY WILL BE OPEN TO ALL THE ENTITIES ACCREDITED TO THE WSIS PROCESS. BUT THE RULES OF PROCEDURES OTHERWISE WILL NOT APPLY. THAT IS, STAKEHOLDERS WILL HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS AS GOVERNMENTS.

AND IF I MAY ADD THIS, IF THERE ARE CONSTITUENCIES OF ICANN WHO ARE NOT ACCREDITED TO THE WSIS PROCESS, THIS DOES NOT PRECLUDE THEM FROM PARTICIPATING.

THEY CAN APPLY FOR ACCREDITATION, AND THEY SHOULD APPLY, THEN, TO THE SECRETARIAT AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT ALL BONA FIDE APPLICATIONS WILL BE PROCESSED AND THAT THEY WILL BE GIVEN ACCESS TO THESE CONSULTATIONS.

THANK YOU.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. KUMMER?
NO?
OKAY.

SO DANKE SCHEIN.
OH, WE HAVE ONE.

>>ELANA BROITMAN: THANK YOU.
ELANA BROITMAN WITH REGISTRAR CONSTITUENCY.

THANK YOU, MR. KUMMER, FOR THE INVITATION -- WELL, FIRST FOR THE STATEMENT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AN INCLUSIVE AND OPEN PROCESS. AND FOR THE INVITATION FOR PARTICIPATION BY CURRENT CONSTITUENCIES IN ICANN. AND I THINK BEYOND THAT, PROBABLY INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THESE CONSTITUENCIES IN ICANN ITSELF.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ISSUES INCLUDED IN INTERNET GOVERNANCE THAT BUSINESSES SUCH AS REGISTRARS ARE CONSTANTLY ENGAGED IN, WHETHER IT'S ETAXATION OR PRIVACY OR SPAM ISSUES THAT GO BEYOND WHAT ICANN'S SCOPE IS. AND SO WE CERTAINLY WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, TO BE HELPFUL WHERE WE CAN BE, AND PERHAPS ACT WHEN -- AS EXPERT GROUPS, IF THAT'S OF USE TO YOU.

SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION OTHER THAN WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE, LET US KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS MIGHT BE AND WHEN YOU MIGHT NEED THAT KIND OF SUPPORT.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: THANK YOU.

SO I THINK WE CAN JUST PERHAPS GO AROUND THE TABLE AND LET THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZING GROUP INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND SEE WHETHER THEY HAVE ANY OPENING REMARKS FOR THE DISCUSSION. AND THEN WE WILL MOVE TO THE OPEN DISCUSSION.

SO I AM VITTORIO BERTOLA, I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO I GUESS YOU KNOW ME BY NOW.

THE ONLY REMARK I WANTED TO MAKE IS THAT I AM VERY HAPPY THAT SINCE WE ORGANIZED THE FIRST WSIS-RELATED EVENT IN TUNIS, JUST TWO ICANN MEETINGS AGO, THIS ISSUE HAS GROWN TO THE ATTENTION OF THE ICANN COMMUNITY SO MUCH THAT WE NOW HAVE A BIG ROOM OF PEOPLE AND WEBCAST AND WHATEVER.

SO I REALLY WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING.
AND THEN PETER.

>>DENISE MICHEL: DENISE MICHEL, I WORK WITH THE AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: MY NAME IS PETER DENGATE THRUSH. I AM FROM INTERNET NEW ZEALAND AND THE ASIA-PACIFIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN ASSOCIATION.

THERE HAS BEEN SOME ACTIVITY ON CCTLDS ON THIS. THE ASIA-PACIFIC ASSOCIATION TOOK A POSITION AT THEIR MEETING LAST AUGUST, AND -- PARTICIPATING IN THE WSIS PROCESS AND WE TOOK A POSITION AT THE CARTHAGE MEETING. I THINK OUR -- MY PERSONAL CONCERN AT THE MOMENT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT NOW THAT THIS PROCESS OF TAKING THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE ISSUES OUT OF THE WSIS PROCESS AND SENDING IT TO YOUR VERY IMPORTANT COMMITTEE, WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THAT COMMITTEE.

WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE, I THINK, THAT THE REST OF THE WSIS PROCESS CAN NOW GET ON WITHOUT THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE PROCESS.

THE LAST THING WE WANT TO SEE, I THINK, IS INTERNET GOVERNANCE BEING DEBATED NOW IN TWO PLACES, WHEREAS BEFORE IT WAS IN ONE.

SO WE HOPE THAT THERE IS, IN FACT, A GENUINE RESOLUTION OF THESE TOPICS SO YOUR GROUP CAN GET ON WITH THE DIFFICULT QUESTION OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE AND THE OTHER IMPORTANT WORK OF THE WSIS WILL CONTINUE.

>>IZUMI AIZU: MY NAME IS IZUMI AIZU, MEMBER OF AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND I AM ALSO THE -- A MEMBER OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE IN THE WSIS PROCESS.

I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BOTH ICANN'S CONTEXT AND THE WSIS CONTEXT TO TRY TO ENSURE THE CIVIL SOCIETY OR USER PARTICIPATION TO THIS DEBATE OF PROCESS, WHICH IS SOMETHING I LEARNED THAT IT'S BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT, PERHAPS, FROM THE WSIS DEBATE THAT UNLESS YOU INVOLVE USERS OR NETIZENS, HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE CORRECT GOVERNANCE IS IMPLEMENTED. LIKEWISE, UNLESS YOU INVOLVE USERS IN ICANN PROCESS, HOW DO YOU REALLY MANAGE THE COORDINATION OF THE RESOURCES? SO I WOULDN'T GO INTO TOO MUCH MORE, BUT THIS WSIS PROCESS GAVE RISE TO THE VERY IMPORTANCE OF THE USERS' INVOLVEMENT. AND WE WILL CONTINUE THIS KIND OF WORK IN THE WORKING GROUP PROCESS AND THE WSIS PROCESS AND ICANN PROCESS.

THANKS.

>>MARILYN CADE: MY NAME IS MARILYN CADE. I WORK FOR AT&T. I AM A MEMBER OF THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY.

OUTSIDE OF ICANN, I AM INVOLVED WITH A NUMBER OF THE COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE WSIS AND THE PREPCOM PROCESS. AND I AM VERY -- I WANT TO BOTH SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING AND JOINING US, AND TO PAUL FOR HIS COMMENTS AS WELL, AND TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE ROOM AND THE ONLINE PARTICIPANTS.

I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE GOVERNMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND TO THE CCTLDS, BOTH OF WHOM ORGANIZED THEIR SCHEDULES FOR US SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THIS SESSION AT THIS TIME AND HAVE AS BROAD PARTICIPATION AS POSSIBLE.

I WANT TO NOTE THAT AND SEND A WORD OF APPRECIATION TO ALL OF YOU.

IN THE FIRST MEETING, THE GROUP WHO IS UP HERE WORKED TOGETHER TO ORGANIZE THE FIRST MEETING AS AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION.

AND THAT'S NO SURPRISE, SINCE MANY OF US WERE INVOLVED IN THE WSIS PROCESS EXTERNALLY AND SAW THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION.

THIS SESSION WAS ORGANIZED, IN OUR MINDS, TO SORT OF TAKE A NEXT STEP.

AND YOUR COMMENTS, I THINK, ARE VERY TIMELY AND VERY HELPFUL TO US IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT THAT STEP WOULD BE.

I'LL TALK A BIT LATER ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF A TEMPLATE THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED WHERE WE WILL GO TO EACH OF THE GROUPS THAT ARE ACTIVE IN ICANN AND ASK THEM TO DO A BIT OF A SELF-ASSESSMENT IN A BOTTOM-UP PROCESS, TELL US WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND -- I THINK THIS WILL HELP US TO INFORM THE ICANN COMMUNITIES, BUT ALSO TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE INPUT INTO THE CONSULTATION AND THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE GROUP AND THE WSIS OVERALL.

>>TONY HOLMES: I'M TONY HOLMES. I CHAIR THE ISP AND CONNECTIVITY PROVIDERS CONSTITUENCY OF ICANN.

WSIS HAS BEEN ON OUR AGENDA FOR A NUMBER OF MEETINGS NOW, AND IT'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE THAT IS EAGERLY DEBATED. YESTERDAY, WHEN WE HELD OUR MEETING HERE, THAT WASN'T ANY DIFFERENT. WE LOOKED IN DEPTH AT THE TEMPLATE THAT MARILYN MENTIONED EARLIER. AND THERE'S CERTAINLY AN EAGERNESS WITHIN THE CONSTITUENCY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT PROCESS. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THIS AS IT MOVES FORWARD.

>>DAVID FARES: THANK YOU. MY NAME IS DAVID FARES. I AM WITH THE UNITED STATES COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND A MEMBER OF THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY.

I WILL BE MAKING A FEW REMARKS NOT ON BEHALF OF THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY, BUT ON BEHALF OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND ITS CURRENT THINKING ON THE WORK OF THE WORKING GROUP.

FIRST, WE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AGREE THAT INTERNET GOVERNANCE IS MUCH BROADER THAN JUST ICANN. AND IN THAT REGARD, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF THE EXISTING EXPERT BODIES ENGAGED IN INTERNET POLICY ISSUES, AND THAT WHERE THERE IS AN EXISTING EXPERT BODY, THAT WE SHOULD NOT CREATE A NEW ORGANIZATION OR A SUPERORGANIZATION TO SIT ON TOP OF THAT ONE, BECAUSE THERE ARE LIMITED RESOURCES AROUND THE WORLD TO PARTICIPATE IN DIALOGUES, AND REDUNDANCY WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL IN THAT ENVIRONMENT OF LIMITED RESOURCES.

WITH THAT IN MIND, WE THINK THAT THE WORKING GROUP SHOULD ANALYZE THOSE EXISTING EXPERT BODIES INTO A GAP ANALYSIS, IDENTIFYING WHERE INTERNET POLICY ISSUES MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED AND DEFINE A PROCESS AS TO HOW THOSE ISSUES MIGHT BE ADDRESSED AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL WITHOUT DUPLICATION.

WE ALSO THINK THAT THE WORKING GROUP SHOULD IDENTIFY SUSTAINABLE MECHANISMS FOR -- MECHANISMS FOR SUSTAINABLE AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION BY ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN BODIES IN THE EXISTING EXPERT BODIES AND IN ANY NEW PROCESS THAT MIGHT BE IDENTIFIED TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES THAT AREN'T ADEQUATELY BEING ADDRESSED ALREADY.

WE THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPING WORLD. AND THAT IS NOT JUST FOR GOVERNMENTS, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE DEVELOPING WORLD.

THIS IS LARGELY A CAPACITY-BUILDING EXERCISE TO ENSURE EVERYONE HAS THE SUBSTANTIVE KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLICY DIALOGUES AS WELL AS CREATING INNOVATIVE MECHANISMS FOR PARTICIPATION, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE CANNOT TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD TO THE DIFFERENT MEETINGS. EVERYONE'S VOICE NEEDS TO BE HEARD. AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART.

AND THEN, LASTLY, THAT WE IDENTIFY MECHANISMS FOR GREATER COOPERATION AND COORDINATION AMONG THE EXISTING EXPERT BODIES.

THIS IS REALLY JUST AN ADDITIONAL POINT TO PREVENT REDUNDANCIES AMONG THE EXISTING EXPERT BODIES. THAT'S OUR CURRENT THINKING.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MARKUS AS THE WORKING GROUP'S WORK PROCEEDS. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

>>JEFF NEUMAN: GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JEFF NEUMAN. I'M WITH THE GTLD REGISTRIES CONSTITUENCY.

I WANT TO ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE BY ELANA BROITMAN FROM THE REGISTRAR CONSTITUENCY ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE WHOLE WSIS PROCESS.

AS AN ENTITY THAT DOESN'T TRADITIONALLY FIT INTO THE DEFINITIONS OF BUSINESS, CIVIL SOCIETY, OR GOVERNMENT, WE CERTAINLY ARE KEY MEMBERS TO THE SECURITY AND STABILITY OF THE INTERNET AND CERTAINLY WELCOME ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PLAY ANY KIND OF ROLE, WHETHER IT'S ON THE COMMITTEE OR CERTAINLY AS AN EXPERT, TO PROVIDE OUR VIEW ON GLOBALIZATION AND ON SECURITY AND STABILITY OF THE INTERNET.

>>ELANA BROITMAN: THANK YOU. ELANA BROITMAN. I WORK FOR REGISTRAR.COM AND I'M ALSO CHAIR OF THE REGISTRAR CONSTITUENCY.

I WANT TO ECHO THE REMARKS MADE AROUND THE TABLE, PARTICULARLY DAVID AND MARILYN, WITH REGARD TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROCESS AND THE APPRECIATION FOR EVERYBODY'S WORK TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND TO COORDINATE WHAT HAPPENS AT ICANN, WHAT HAPPENS AT WSIS.

THE REGISTRARS ARE, BY AND LARGE, A VERY DIVERSE GROUP. AND OUR MEMBERSHIP REALLY SPANS THE GLOBE. AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MEMBERS REALLY COMING OUT OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

SO TO THE EXTENT THAT THE U.N. HAS A TRADITION AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY HELP IT DEVELOPMENT IN COUNTRIES WHERE THAT HASN'T OCCURRED, THAT IS, I THINK, ONE OF THE GREATEST ROLES THAT IT CAN REALLY SERVE THROUGH THE WSIS PROCESS.

AND, AGAIN, THE REGISTRARS WANT TO PARTNER AND WHAT TO BE THERE TO OFFER WHATEVER SUPPORT THAT WE CAN. ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN UNDER THE ICANN UMBRELLA IS PRIVATE SECTOR-LED GROWTH. I KNOW THAT THAT'S AN OFTEN-OVERUSED TERM, BUT WHAT WE'VE REALLY SEEN IN THE REALLY SHORT LIFE SPAN OF ICANN IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF COMPETITION THAT'S RESULTED IN LOWER PRICES, DIFFERENT OFFERINGS OF PRODUCTS TO CONSUMERS. AND THAT REALLY SERVES, I THINK, MORE THAN ANYONE, THE NEWER ENTRANTS INTO -- ONTO THE INTERNET.

SO WE HOPE THAT THAT SORT OF PRIVATE-LED GROWTH WILL CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTED THROUGH WHATEVER FRAMEWORK OR PROCESS OCCURRING AT THE U.N.

AT THE SAME TIME, AS I SAID, I THINK THE U.N. HAS A PARTICULAR ROLE TO PLAY IN HELPING TO BRING COUNTRIES -- OR INTERNET DEVELOPMENT IN COUNTRIES WHERE IT'S BEEN SLOWER OR HASN'T OCCURRED. AND WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. AND WE WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF REALLY GLOBALIZED STANDARDS WITH REGARD TO ISSUES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE ICANN FRAMEWORK, BECAUSE, AS PAUL TWOMEY HAD SAID, TECHNOLOGY KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ANY KIND OF GROWTH IF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES DEVELOP DIFFERENT STANDARDS.

BUT I'D LIKE TO STRESS THAT WE HOPE THAT THE STANDARDS THAT ARE DEVELOPED ARE DONE TO THE HIGHEST DENOMINATOR, NOT THE LOWEST DENOMINATOR, AND REALLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR UNDER APPROPRIATE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES.

THANK YOU.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. SO WE ARE NOW FINALLY READY TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION. SO PLEASE LINE BY THE MICROPHONE DOWN THERE AND REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION.

SO I SEE WOLFGANG, WHICH I THINK IS -- HE IS GOING TO GIVE US REMARKS ON BEHALF OF THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE OF THE WSIS PROCESS.

>>WOLFGANG KLEIUWACHTE: GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS WOLFGANG KLEIUWACHTE. I AM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS. I WANT TO MAKE MORE A COMMENT THAN ASKING A QUESTION.

I THINK THE DIFFICULTY HERE IS THAT WE WORK WITH PHENOMENONS WHICH ARE NOT CLEARLY DEFINED. THERE IS NO ACCEPTED DEFINITION WHAT INTERNET GOVERNANCE IS, AND THERE IS NO ACCEPTED DEFINITION WHAT THE STAKEHOLDER APPROACH IS. SO WE HAVE A RATHER WEAK BASIS AND A NUMBER OF CONFLICTS.

THERE ARE CONFLICTS AMONG GOVERNMENTS, CONFLICTS AMONG PRIVATE SECTOR. BIG COMPANIES HAVE DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAN SMALLER COMPANIES. AND IF YOU ASK MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY CAUCUS, TEN MEMBERS, 12 OPINIONS. SO THAT MEANS THERE IS A LOT OF CONFLICT FROM A LEGAL POINT OF VIEW. THE MAIN CONFLICT HERE IS THAT YOU HAVE ON THE ONE SIDE THE UNITED NATIONS. THAT MEANS OUR STATES, GOVERNMENTS, WHICH ARE ORGANIZED NATIONALLY IN A HIERARCHICAL WAY. AND ON THE OTHER SIDE YOU HAVE THE UNITED CONSTITUENCIES. THESE ARE NETWORKS, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING DIFFERENT GROUPS ON AN INTERNATIONAL WAY. AND THE CHALLENGE IS TO BRING THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE UNITED CONSTITUENCIES INTO AN INTERRELATIONSHIP THAT THEY CAN INTERACT.

AND WE KNOW THERE'S NO WAY TO SEPARATE, CLEARLY, TECHNICAL FROM POLITICAL ISSUES, BECAUSE THIS IS IN THE (INAUDIBLE) AND SO FAR YOU CANNOT SEPARATE CLEARLY THE GOVERNMENTAL FROM THE NONGOVERNMENTAL ACTORS. YOU HAVE TO COME ONE A SYSTEM OF COREGULATION, COPOLICY DEVELOPMENT. AND THAT IS A NEW STEP IN A NEW TERRITORY. BUT IT MEANS THE GROUP HAS TO BE INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE, AND TO PRODUCE SOMETHING WHICH IS NEW.

TO DO THIS, AT LEAST FROM A LEGAL POINT OF VIEW, YOU HAVE TO BRING THIS DOWN INTO WORKING THROUGH CATEGORIES, YOU KNOW, INTERNET GOVERNANCE IS NOT A WORKABLE CATEGORY. SO YOU HAVE TO BRING IT DOWN. WE KNOW THERE IS THAT TELECOMMUNICATION SOMETIMES IS COMPARED WITH INTERNET. BUT THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ANIMALS, DEVELOPED HISTORICALLY IN A DIFFERENT WAY, TOP-DOWN HERE, BOTTOM-UP THERE. BUT YOU CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM THE DISCUSSION OF TELECOMMUNICATION IN THE 1980S, WHEN VALUE-ADDED SERVICE CAME UP. THEN YOU MADE A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN BASIC SERVICES AND VALUE-ADDED SERVICES.

AND IN THE COMPUTER TWO DECISION IN THE 1980, IT WAS MORE OR LESS CLEAR THAT BASIC SERVICE SHOULD BE REGULATED AND VALUE-ADDED SHOULD BE NOT REGULATED. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, OPEN FOR COMPETITION.

IF YOU TRANSPORT THIS TO THE INTERNET ARENA, THEN YOU CAN TURN IT AROUND AND YOU COULD SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN BE DESCRIBED AS THE BASIC SERVICE, THIS IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE ONE HAND, IT IS THE ROOT SERVER, THE NUMBERS, AND THE ADDRESSES.

AND WHAT I WOULD CALL ENABLING SERVICES, LIKE THE DNS, WHOIS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THIS IS ONE PART WHICH DOES NOT NEED GOVERNMENTAL REGULATION.

AND THEN YOU HAVE THE VALUE-ADDED SERVICES, ECOMMERCE AND OTHER THINGS AND WHAT I WOULD CALL THE PROTECTING SERVICE, THIS IS CYBER CRIME, REGULATION AGAINST SPAM AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH PROTECT THE BASIC VALUE-ADDED SERVICE SO THAT THEY CANNOT BE MISUSED FOR ILLEGAL PURPOSES.

AND IF YOU COMPARE THESE TWO THINGS, THEN YOU COULD HAVE A REGULATORY SYSTEM WHERE YOU HAVE LOW GOVERNMENTAL INVOLVEMENT ON THE BASIC LEVEL, AND HIGHER SELF-REGULATORY ASPECTS WHERE CIVIL SECTOR AND PRIVATE SECTOR IS INVOLVED, AND IF YOU WORK AT A LAYERED STRUCTURE, YOU COME ONE THE PROTECTING SERVICE WHERE YOU HAVE A HIGH GOVERNMENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND A LOWER INVOLVEMENT ON THE NONGOVERNMENTAL SECTOR.

SO YOU HAVE TO GO CASE BY CASE, LAYER BY LAYER, AND TO INTRODUCE, LET'S SAY, A MULTI-LAYER OR STAKEHOLDER SYSTEM WHERE YOU HAVE TO DEFINE IN VERY CLEAR TERMS THE ASPECTS WHICH GOVERNMENTS PLAY, WHICH PRIVATE SECTOR PLAYS, AND WHICH CIVIL SOCIETY PLAY, AND YOU COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT MECHANISM ON EACH OF THE DIFFERENT LAYERS, FOLLOWING, YOU KNOW, THE BASIC SEPARATION OF THE DIFFERENT BASIC SERVICES.

THIS IS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE ONLY AT THE START OF A NEW BEGINNING. AND AS MARKUS HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS NOT -- THIS WAS A BIG SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE NOW AN ORGANIZED DEBATE, WHICH IS MUCH BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE.

AND TO FACILITATE THE DEBATE FURTHER, YOU KNOW, THE ICANN STUDIENKREIS, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1999, WILL ORGANIZE A MEETING IMMEDIATELY ON -- BEFORE THE FIRST CONSULTATION IN GENEVA.

THE MEETING TAKES PLACE ON SEPTEMBER 17-18 IN AARHUS, AND THE TITLE OF THE MEETING IS ICANN IN A NEW WSIS ENVIRONMENT ON THE EVE OF NEW PARTNERSHIPS. THE MEETING IS OPEN TO EVERYBODY. BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE CONFERENCE HALL HAS ONLY 100 SEATS. SO WE WILL HAVE PARTICIPANTS ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: THANK YOU. AND PLEASE DON'T PUSH.
SO IS THERE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO -- PLEASE.

>> NORBERT KLEIN. I WORKED 14 YEARS IN CAMBODIA. AND I WAS INVOLVED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IN THE INTRODUCTION OF INTERNET COMMUNICATION IN THE COUNTRY. IT IS ON THIS BACKGROUND THAT I SPEAK.

I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THAT THIS OPEN PROCESS HAS BEEN SPELLED OUT IN MANY RESPECTS, AND ALSO THAT MULTI-LINGUALISM HAS BEEN MENTIONED BY MR. KUMMER AS ONE OF THE FIVE IMPORTANT ASPECTS.

NOW -- EXCUSE ME -- THAT MEANS, FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE HAVE NOT THE POSSIBILITY TO USE LANGUAGES FOR WHICH THE SCRIPT IS AVAILABLE FOR EASY USE IN COMMUNICATION ON THE INTERNET.

AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THIS, THAT THIS IS A CONSTITUENCY WHICH IS NOT ORGANIZED AS A MAJOR CONSTITUENCY, WHICH CANNOT BE ORGANIZED, BECAUSE IT IS THE MINOR LANGUAGES WHICH ALSO NEED TO HAVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE.

AND I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THIS CONCERN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: THANK YOU. AND I AM -- PERSONALLY SUPPORT THAT OBSERVATION.

>> HI. I'M YANN KWOK, THE CHAIRMAN OF AFTLD, AN ASSOCIATION OF CCTLD MANAGERS IN AFRICA. I'D LIKE TO BUILD ON WHAT ELANA SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

AGENCE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB IN SUPPORTING DELEGATES FROM THE DEVELOPING WORLD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ICANN PROCESS.

AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE U.N. AND OTHER ONES TO MAKE SURE THAT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DON'T -- AREN'T LEFT BEHIND, BECAUSE, LIKE IN AFRICA, WE'RE ALREADY -- WE HAVE A HUGE DIGITAL DIVIDE, AND INFORMATION ALLOWS US TO PARTICIPATE, TO BE PART OF THE NEW ECONOMY.

SO IT WOULD BE GOOD THAT WE AREN'T LEFT BEHIND AND TAKE PART IN THE PROCESS.

THANK YOU.

>> : VERY GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS AIZ OF INNOVATION. I AM INDEPENDENT COMPLETELY, I AM NOT A MEMBER OF YOUR SOCIETY, NO CLAN, NO TRIBES. WITH DUE RESPECT TO VINT.

NOW, THE QUESTION I REALIZE, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE NOTICE THAT I HAVE LOOKED AT ICANN OVER THE YEARS, OVER THE DECADES, AND I THINK THAT YOU ARE NOT PROGRESSIVELY CONDUCIVE TO YOUR INTENTION, NOTWITHSTANDING YOU HAVE MULTIPLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SO MANY LAYERS.

BUT I THINK THAT WHAT YOU ARE DOING VERY MUCH PHILOSOPHICAL, NOT REALLY TECHNOLOGICAL, AND WITH REAL INPUTS TO BE, I AM VERY SORRY TO SAY, NOTWITHSTANDING THE YEARS WE HAVE TAKEN, I HAVE I GIVE NOTICE THAT IN A VERY SHORT SITUATION, THAT WE INTEND TO COMPETE WITH YOU, IF ICANN DOESN'T WANT TO BE REASONABLE ENOUGH TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT IMPROVING IN THE DIMENSION THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD EXPECT.

AND THAT IS WHAT I SAY, HERE, I HEREBY SET MY NOTICE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO COMPLEMENT. IF NOT, THEN WE HAVE TO COMPETE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: THANK YOU.
SO ANY MORE SPEAKERS? PLEASE DON'T BE SHY.

YES, WE HAVE ONE.

>>VINT CERF: GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS VINT CERF. I AM CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF ICANN.

FIRST OF ALL, MR. KUMMER, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US AND TO EXPLAIN THE TASK YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU. I THINK YOU WILL HAVE STIMULATED A GOOD DEAL OF INTEREST IN WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THESE ISSUES.

I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SLIDE THAT YOU PUT UP WHICH LISTED SOME EXAMPLE ISSUES THAT WOULD ARISE IN THE CONSIDERATION OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE.

THEY WERE: NETWORK SECURITY, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, DATA PROTECTION, SPAM, AND MULTI-LINGUALISM.

AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS WAS NOT A DEFINITIVE AND COMPLETE LIST BY ANY MEANS; IT WAS SIMPLY ONE TO ILLUSTRATE SOME OF THE TOPICS AROUND WHICH INTERNET GOVERNANCE WOULD BE DISCUSSED.

I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THE COMMENTS THAT WOLFGANG KLEIUWACHTE MENTIONED ARE VERY RELEVANT. HE WAS DESCRIBING THINGS IN TERMS OF LAYERS.

THE INTERNET'S TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE IS, IN FACT, VERY LAYERED. THE AREA OF FOCUS THAT WE HAVE AT ICANN IS IN THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE NETWORK, THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM, INTERNET ADDRESS STRUCTURE IN PARTICULAR, AND THE OTHER PARAMETERS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNET PROTOCOLS OF VARIOUS KINDS. THESE ARE, FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES, ENABLING COMPONENTS.

THE PART OF THE INTERNET WHICH SEEMS TO STIMULATE THE MOST INTEREST WITH REGARD TO THE TERM "GOVERNANCE" LIES AT THE EDGE OF THE NET. IT LIES IN THE PARTS THAT ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT SOME SERVICE, THAT ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, SPAM IS A CONSEQUENCE OF ELECTRONIC MAIL, AN APPLICATION THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. IT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THE UNDERLYING NETWORK, BUT IT HAS A GREAT DEAL TO DO WITH THE FUNCTIONALITY AT THE EDGE OF THE NET.

IN FACT, ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO WITH THE INTERNET INVOLVES SOMETHING AT ITS EDGE THAT HAS SOFTWARE IN IT THAT'S TRYING TO PERFORM A FUNCTION OR A SERVICE.

SO IT STRIKES ME THAT A GREAT DEAL OF THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE DEBATE ALMOST HAS TO BE FOCUSED ON THE EDGE AND THE APPLICATIONS AND WHAT PEOPLE DO WITH THE NET OR WHAT ABUSE THEY MAKE OF THE NET.

THESE ARE PROBLEMS WHICH ARE LARGELY OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW OF ICANN, BUT THEY ARE SURELY IMPORTANT TO GOVERNMENTS AND TO CITIZENS WHO WANT TO GAIN THE BENEFITS OF HAVING ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, WHO WANT TO BENEFIT FROM USING ITS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND WANT TO BE PROTECTED FROM PEOPLE WHO WOULD ABUSE THAT SYSTEM.

SO I HOPE THAT AS YOU ORGANIZE THIS WORKING GROUP, THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION, BECAUSE MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT I THINK YOUR GROUP WILL BE FACED WITH LIE WELL BEYOND THE PURVIEW OF ICANN.

I THINK ALL OF US HERE ARE EAGER TO BE OF HELP, TO HELP EXPLAIN, IF NECESSARY, THE TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS OF SOME OF THE GOVERNANCE ISSUES.

I'LL PICK ONE EXAMPLE, MULTI-LINGUALISM.

THE INTERNET, AS IT CURRENTLY IS CONSTITUTED, MAKES VERY HEAVY USE OF THE WORLDWIDE WEB. IT MAKES HEAVY USE OF HTML. IT'S CAPABLE OF CARRYING VIRTUALLY ANY EXPRESSION THAT CAN BE ENCODED USING THE UNICODE CHARACTER SET EXCEPT FOR DOMAIN NAMES THEMSELVES.

AND THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE ARE WORKING, AS YOU KNOW. IT'S NOT EASY.

SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE INCREDIBLY, FRANKLY, TRICKY -- THAT'S A TECHNICAL TERM -- TO IMPLEMENT.

SO I HOPE IN THE COURSE OF TRYING TO EVALUATE WHAT ASPECTS OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE NEED ATTENTION, THAT IT'S NOT LOST ON THE WORKING GROUP THAT MANY OF THESE ISSUES HAVE SERIOUS TECHNICAL ROOTS.

I'D LIKE TO COMPARE THIS TO THE PHYSICS OF THE INTERNET.

SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T DO THAT, BECAUSE, TECHNICALLY, IT DOESN'T WORK.

THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES ARE EVOLVED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: THANK YOU.
SO WE HAVE ON THE MICROPHONE PAUL.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THANK YOU, VITTORIO. I WONDER IF I MAY TAKE THE LEAD FROM VINT TO SHARE PERHAPS ANOTHER CONSTRAINT THAT I THINK THIS COMMUNITY HAS WITNESSED, AND MAYBE THAT EXPERIENCE WILL ALSO BE OF USE IN THE CONSIDERATION OF THE WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS THAT NOT ONLY DO SOME OF THESE THINGS AT THE FRINGE HAVE LINKAGES BACK TO CORE TECHNOLOGIES, BUT THAT ALSO, AS ONE THINKS ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AS THEY ARISE, ONE HAS TO DEAL WITH THE PRACTICAL REALITY OF THE RULE OF LAW.

AND IF I MAY GIVE AN EXAMPLE, BECAUSE IT'S AN EXAMPLE THAT'S BEEN SHARED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS. IT IS THE ISSUE OF GEOPOLITICAL TERMS OR THE SUBNATIONAL TERMS OR NATIONAL TERMS IN DOMAIN NAME SPACE. COUNTRY.COM, TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE. NOW, WHILE THAT'S AN ONGOING AREA OF DISCUSSION, IT ILLUSTRATES, I THINK, ONE OF THE POINTS MADE BY SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS AT THIS TABLE, THAT EVEN IF -- EVEN IF ICANN, AS AN ORGANIZATION, WISHED IT COULD CHANGE AND DO SOMETHING SIMPLE IN THAT ARENA, EVEN IF THERE WAS ANOTHER ENTITY THAT WISHED IT COULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THAT ARENA, THE REALITY IS THERE IS A TREATY OF PARIS. UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, THERE IS A MECHANISM WHICH ACTUALLY RECOGNIZES AND ESTABLISHES INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS.

WE LOOK REGULARLY TO THE ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION, TO GIVE US ADVICE ABOUT SUCH ISSUES. SOMETIMES THE ANSWERS ARE NOT -- DO NOT PLEASE EVERYBODY. THE DIFFICULTY YOU HAVE AND THE CONSTRAINTS ARE NOT ONLY THE CONSTRAINTS OF TECHNOLOGY LINKAGES BUT THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE RULE OF LAW. AND THAT WE, IN OUR TASKING, ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF CREATING LAW, CANNOT CREATE LAW, BUT WE'VE ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ITSELF DOES NOT HAVE CONSENSUS WHEN IT WANTS TO CHANGE THAT LAW.

SO IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING ILLUSTRATION, I THINK, OF -- I THINK THE PHRASE USED WAS GAP ANALYSIS; THAT SOME THINGS CAN -- IT IS AN EASY, AT FIRST GLANCE IN SOME ISSUES AROUND THE INTERNET, IT DOES HAVE A NATURAL TENDENCY THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A ONE-STOP SHOP. HOW DO I HAVE A ONE-STOP SHOP THAT LETS ME FIX ALL MY PROBLEMS THAT EMERGE?

IT HAS BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE THAT EVEN IF YOU WISH TO TAKE A ONE-STOP SHOP IN A VERY NARROW AREA, LIKE THE DOMAIN NAME SPACE, YOU STILL FIND YOURSELVES WITH A HISTORICAL PRACTICAL REALITIES THAT THERE ARE TREATIES IN PLACE THAT AFFECT OTHER THINGS, THAT YOU HAVE TO GO TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. YOU WILL NEVER BE CAUGHT UP IN A COMPLEX WEB THAT'S BEEN BUILT OVER THE LAST 150 YEARS.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: THANK YOU. PLEASE.

>>PAUL WILSON: PAUL WILSON HERE FROM APNIC, THE REGIONAL INTERNET ADDRESS REGISTRIES. WE HAVE ATTENDED WSIS MEETING FOR SOME TIME IN AN EFFORT TO PARTICIPATE AND UNDERSTAND CONCERNS, PROVIDE INPUT AND INFORMATION WHERE IT'S NEEDED, AND ALSO REPRESENT INTERESTS OF OUR CONSTITUENCIES.

I'VE GOT A QUESTION AND A COMMENT FOR PAUL TWOMEY ABOUT THE CURRENT ICANN MOU WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND WSIS, AND IT'S AN ISSUE OF TIMING. THIS COMMENT AND QUESTION DERIVE FROM RECENT PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT THE NRO MADE WE'VE ALL HEARD FROM YOU AGAIN AT THIS MEETING THAT THE CURRENT MOU WITH DOC WILL BE THE LAST ONE AND IT WILL EXPIRE IN 2006; HOWEVER, WSIS CONCLUDES IN 2005. AND DURING THIS TIME, DURING THIS PHASE OF WSIS, IT SEEMS THE RELATIONSHIP OF ICANN WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS OF CRITICAL INTEREST TO PARTICIPANTS.

SO THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THERE IS A CHANCE THAT BEFORE THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PHASE OF WSIS, THERE MIGHT BE SOME KIND OF UNAMBIGUOUS STATEMENT FROM THE PARTIES TO THE MOU FROM ICANN AND, PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OF EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE RELATIONSHIP IN 2006. I'D BE INTERESTED IN WHETHER YOU'VE GOT A RESPONSE TO THAT. ALSO, WHETHER THERE ARE ANY U.S. GOVERNMENT REPS IN THE ROOM THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME RESPONSE.

THE COMMENT IS THAT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF YOU WISH TO OVERCOME THE CONCERNS OF WSIS PARTICIPANTS ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP, WHICH DOES APPEAR TO BE PRETTY IMPORTANT AT THE MOMENT, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE THAN SORT OF A STATEMENT OF "PLEASE TRUST US" BY THE TIME WSIS CONCLUDES IN 2005 REGARDING WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN IN 2006.

THANKS.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THANKS FOR THAT.

I HAD AN INTERESTING PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION WITH KOFI ANNAN IN MARCH, AND WE STARTED WITH THIS TOPIC. ACTUALLY, WE STARTED WITH DISCUSSION OF DARPANET. HE SAID TO ME, YOU CAN'T WISH AWAY HISTORY. AND I MAKE THAT POINT BECAUSE THERE'S A MISINTERPRETATION I THINK OF THE NATURE OF WHAT THIS MOU REPRESENTS.

THIS MOU IS AN EXPRESSION OF A POLICY DECISION MADE BY TWO ADMINISTRATIONS OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL COLOR IN THE UNITED STATES, THAT THEY WISHED TO TRANSITION OUT OF WHAT WAS A 30-YEAR HISTORY OF THEIR ROLE OF SUPPORT AND OPERATION OF SOME OVERSIGHT FUNCTIONS FOR SOME OF THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNET, THESE FUNCTIONS. AND THAT THEY, AS YOU RECALL IN THE LATE '90S, CALLED FOR A NEW INTERNATIONAL MULTI-STAKEHOLDER AL APPROACH TO HANDLE THESE PROCESSES.

AS YOU WOULD APPRECIATE, AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, BUT AS YOU WOULD APPRECIATE, THESE -- AND I THINK THIS WAS VERY CLEAR IN DECEMBER IN GENEVA, THE COUNTRIES THAT HAVE MOST TO LOSE FROM THESE TECHNOLOGIES GOING HAYWIRE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO SUPPORT A GOVERNMENT-ONLY SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. IF I DID AN ANALYSIS OF WHO WAS ON WHAT SIDE OF THE FENCE THAT MARKUS HAS DESCRIBED, IT WAS VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRIES WHO YOU WOULD THINK WOULD BE MOST WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENTAL ASPECT OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES WORKING BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THEIR SOCIETY AND ECONOMY RELIES ON THEM NOW, WERE THE ONES WHO WERE MOST STRONGLY SAYING YOU NEED TO HAVE A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER, BUSINESS INVOLVED, CIVIL SOCIETY INVOLVED.

SO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S EXPRESSION OF THAT I THINK HAS BEEN THIS MOU WITH ICANN IN TERMS OF THESE PARTICULAR NARROW FUNCTIONS. AND THE MOU HAS BEEN EXPRESSED CONSISTENTLY AS A DUE DILIGENCE DOCUMENT; THAT THEY WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE DUE DILIGENCE HAS TAKEN PLACE; THAT THEY CAN CALMLY ACCEPT THAT THAT TRANSITION HAS TAKEN PLACE AND THAT THIS NEW MULTI-STAKEHOLDER INTERNATIONAL ENTITY ACTUALLY DOES THE FUNCTIONS WELL AND IN A WAY WHICH DIMINISHES RISK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

THE AGREEMENT ON THE LAST MOU IS THAT THIS IS THE FINAL MOU. THERE ARE 24 MILESTONES THAT WE AS THE LAST STAGE OF DUE DILIGENCE HAVE TO ACHIEVE.

WE HAVE 7 MILESTONES CONCLUDED IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS. WE ARE AHEAD OF TIMETABLE OR ON TIMETABLE FOR THE REST OF THE MILESTONES. SO I CAN'T MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL ACHIEVE THE DUE DILIGENCE REQUIREMENTS EARLIER THAN THAT THREE-YEAR PERIOD. POTENTIALLY WE MAY. AND WE WILL HAVE PASSED THE TEST, IF YOU LIKE, FOR THE TRANSITION.

I THINK YOU WILL NOTE THAT THERE IS MEDIA COMMENTARY FROM SENIOR PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IN THE LAST LITTLE WHILE, OF WHICH THERE MAY BE MORE EXPRESSED, I THINK. YOU MIGHT SEE MORE TODAY, EXPRESSING THEIR SATISFACTION WITH THE PROGRESS BEING MADE IN TERMS OF THOSE MILESTONES. AND INTERESTINGLY, REINFORCING THE COMMITMENT TO THE TRANSITION TO AN AUTONOMOUS OPERATION.

SO IT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION, PAUL, BECAUSE I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ANOTHER PARTY. BUT I DO WANT TO INDICATE, FIRST OF ALL, THAT THE MOU IS NOT SOME SORT OF CHARTER OR SOME SORT OF SUBLEGISLATIVE REGULATORY ESTABLISHMENT FOR ICANN. IT'S A DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS ON BEHALF OF TWO ADMINISTRATIONS.

SECONDLY, THAT IT'S ABOUT OUR ACHIEVING, AS A COMMUNITY, A MATURE AND WELL-OPERATING EXPRESSION OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES. AND THEN IT'S A TRANSITION WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THAT TRANSFER TO A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER, INTERNATIONAL, AUTONOMOUS OPERATION.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: OKAY. SO WE'RE COMING TO CLOSE.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: SORRY, JUST TO MAKE THE POINT. I THINK YOU'LL FIND IN ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PARTS OF THAT, WHICH JUST RECENTLY WAS -- WE'VE ANNOUNCED, IS THINKING THROUGH AS SIMPLY A BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BUSINESS ASPECTS OF RUNNING THE OPERATION, WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE CASE OF FAILURE? THE SO-CALLED CONTINGENCY PLANNING, THAT IN THE DETAIL OF THAT CONTINGENCY PLANNING THAT WE HAVE RECENTLY EXPRESSED, WHICH THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT MADE COLLABORATIVE COMMENTS ON AND WHICH WE SHARED YESTERDAY WITH THE GOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IT WAS CLEAR THAT IN THE CASE OF THE CONTINGENCY OF BUSINESS FAILURE THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WOULD PLAY NO SPECIAL ROLE IN THE MECHANISMS BEING ESTABLISHED TO TAKE THE FUNCTIONS FORWARD, BUT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD DO SO WOULD BE REPRESENTERS OF GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD, REPRESENTATIVES OF YOUR CONSTITUENCIES AROUND THE WORLD, REPRESENTATIVES OF COUNTRY CODE MANAGERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY AND OTHERS. IN OTHER WORDS, A REFLECTION OF THE MULTI-STAKEHOLDER AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BEING ENGAGED IN DETERMINING WHAT THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE, WITH NO SPECIAL RESERVED ROLE FOR THE UNITED STATES.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: OKAY. SO I JUST -- WE'RE COMING TO A CLOSE, SO IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE MICROPHONE BY NOW. I HAVE TWO SPEAKERS FROM THAT PODIUM NOW. PLEASE BE BRIEF.

>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: I JUST WANT TO AGREE, AS I OFTEN DO, WITH WOLFGANG AND VINT ABOUT THE LAYERS. WE'VE HAD EXACTLY THE SAME ANALYSIS IN ICANN IN TERMS OF THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CCTLDS, WHICH HAS TAKEN A LOT OF TIME TO SORT OUT, AND THE BASIS OF THE PROBLEM WHICH WE NOW CLEARLY UNDERSTAND IS THE NEED TO SEPARATE THOSE ISSUES RELATING TO CCTLDS WHICH ARE MATTERS OF NATIONAL LAW AND THOSE AREAS WHERE CCTLDS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE GLOBAL INTERNET COMMUNITY IN THE TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURAL LEVEL. AND MUCH OF OUR DEBATE IN FORMING THE CCNSO AND A PLACE FOR THE CCTLDS HAS BEEN MAKING THAT DIVISION UNDERSTOOD, FIRST OF ALL, AND THEN CREATING A STRUCTURE TO DEAL WITH IT.

SO I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THE ANALYSIS THAT'S REQUIRED IN TERMS OF THE LAYERING. AND I'LL ALSO SAY THAT THE CCNSO, WHICH I'M PROUD TO SAY NOW DOES EXIST, IS ACTUALLY GOING TO TAKE THIS AGENDA ITEM UP IN A FEW MINUTES IN AN ADJOINING ROOM. LIKE ALL ICANN MEETINGS, THAT'S OPEN, AND YOU'RE VERY WELCOME TO ATTEND.

THE FINAL POINT IS MY CONCERN, HAVING SAID IT WOULD BE NICE IN THE WSIS PROCESS DID NOT NOW BOG DOWN ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE, IS THE CONCERN THERE ARE STILL SOME THINGS IN THE ACTION PLAN CALLING, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR GOVERNMENTS TO MANAGE OR SUPERVISE THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRY CODE TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS. AND OF COURSE THE CONCERN ABOUT THAT IS THERE DOES SOME TO BE MADE WITHOUT AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT A CCTLD IS. TO SUGGEST THAT THEY ARE THEIR COUNTRY CODE DOMAINS SUGGESTS THERE ARE MANY CCTLDS OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL LAW. SO THAT'S ONE PROBLEM. AND THE SECOND PROBLEM WITH THAT STATEMENT IS IT SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT MANAGING OR SUPERVISING IN THOSE CASES, WHERE THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CCTLDS. AND OF COURSE, MANY OF US HAVE VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR CCTLDS. AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A CALL TO CHANGE WHAT IS, IN FACT, A VERY GOOD, HARMONIOUS, WORKING RELATIONSHIP.

SO I HOPE THAT THAT FACT-FINDING EXERCISE THAT YOU'VE PUT -- THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE DIRECTIONS TO THE WORKING GROUP WILL INCLUDE THAT KIND OF DETAILED ANALYSIS OF ALL OF THE FUNCTIONS BECAUSE I'M SURE IF, IN MY GROUP, WE'RE EXPERIENCING THIS KIND OF DIFFICULTY, I'M SURE OTHER GROUPS WILL BE THE SAME.

THANKS.

>>IZUMI AIZU: THANK YOU. IZUMI AIZU AGAIN. AS THE MEMBER OF AT-LARGE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY POINT OUT THE AREAS OF PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES INSIDE ICANN.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE SO MANY AREAS OF ISSUES OF PUBLIC CODE POLICIES OUTSIDE ICANN, I AGREE TOTALLY. THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS SUCH AS PRIVACY AROUND THE WHOIS OR THE COMPETITION AND INTRODUCTION OF A NEW GTLDS LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, AND SOME SOVEREIGNTY ISSUES AROUND THE CCTLD. SO THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES INSIDE ICANN WHICH NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AS MUCH AS THE OTHER OUTSIDE. AND AS USERS, SHOULD ALSO BE INVOLVED WITH SO-CALLED PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS. AND I CALL THE OTHER CONSTITUENCIES ABOUT THE NEEDS AND THE MERITS OF HAVING THEM INVOLVED. AND ONE THING IS THAT USERS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SELF-ORGANIZE TIMES, AND WE DON'T HAVE MEANS TO PARTICIPATE, UNLIKE THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCIES. AND I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE EFFORTS BY THE ICANN COMMUNITY TO HELP US PARTICIPATE BY INCREASING SOME TRAVEL GRANT. BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, MANY FOLKS FROM THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAVE DIFFICULTY IN PARTICIPATING TO THIS VERY ICANN PROCESS.

YEARS AGO, THEY HAVE NO TRAVEL FUNDS AVAILABLE TO COME TO ICANN MEETINGS, WHICH ARE REALLY NOT HERE AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD HAVE. AND I TRIED TO ORGANIZE THAT KIND OF CAMPAIGN, AND PARTLY FAILED, SO THAT IS MY REFLECTION, TOO. BUT I REALLY APPEAL TO THE CONSTITUENCIES.

THE MONEY WE ARE NOW OPERATING UNDER THE ICANN BUDGET IS USUALLY COMING FROM THE RESERVATIONS FEES WHICH ARE NOT FROM THE REGISTRARS OR REGISTRIES BUT FROM THE USERS OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. SO I ASK FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION ABOUT THESE THINGS. THANK YOU.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: OKAY. SO THE LAST TWO SPEAKERS FROM THE FLOOR, PLEASE BE VERY BRIEF.

>>OLIVIER NANA: THANK YOU, CHAIR. MY NAME IS OLIVIER NANA. I AM THE GENERAL COORDINATOR OF THE AFRICA CIVIL SOCIETY. AND MEMBER OF THE AFRICA (INAUDIBLE).

THE AFRICAN HAS MADE INTERNET GOVERNANCE ONE OF ITS PRIORITIES. AND I WAS VERY, VERY PLEASED TO HEAR MR. KUMMER SAY THAT THIS PROCESS HAS TO BE MULTI -- TO BE VERY, VERY INCLUSIVE.

IN ORDER TO BE INCLUSIVE, IT HAS ALSO TO BE MEANINGFUL. AND TO BRING PEOPLE HERE TO TALK MEANINGFULLY, THERE IS A NEED TO BUILD CAPACITY IN AFRICA. ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS FRANCOPHONIE DO JUST THAT.

BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT THAT AND BRING IN HERE MORE PEOPLE FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY, SEE GATHERING OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON THE PROCESS.

AND AS THE AFRICA CIVIL SOCIETY IS CONCERNED, WE HAVE LED A DISCUSSION ON THESE TO TRY TO TARGET THE BEST PEOPLE TO REPRESENT US ON THE WORKING GROUP, AND WE ARE GOING TO PROPOSE THE NAME TO MR. KUMMER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

>>ALI DRISSA BADIEL: MY NAME IS ALI DRISSA BADIEL, LOCAL INTERNET REGISTRY IN WEST AFRICA.

WE AFRICAN LOCAL INTERNET REGISTRIES HAVE BEEN SO FAR DEPENDENT ON OTHER REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRIES. SO TO DEAL WITH THAT, AFRICA HAS BEEN SETTING UP ITS OWN REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRY NAMED AFRINIC. SO TO HELP THE INTERNET -- THE INFORMATION SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY IN AFRICA, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE ICANN BOARD TO SUPPORT AFRINIC IN ITS DEPLOYMENT BY RECOGNIZING ITS -- THE FIFTH REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRY.

THANK YOU.

>> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS ALAN LEVIN, I'M HERE REPRESENTING DOT ZA, THE RECENTLY NATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAME OF SOUTH AFRICA. I WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT.

I HAVE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES IN ICANN JUST BECAUSE I HAVE HAD THE INTEREST, NOT BECAUSE I COME FROM ANY CLASS OR ANYTHING ELSE. I AM A COMPUTER SCIENTIST THAT'S HAD AN INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING. WHEN I STARTED OFF, PEOPLE USED TO REFER TO IT AS AN EXPERIMENT. I THINK THE FACT THAT THE INTERNET HAS BEEN ABLE TO AND HAS BEEN FACILITATED TO GROW TO THE EXTENT THAT IT HAS IS LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY OF ICANN TO FUNCTION IN THE WAY THAT IT HAS AND TO PASS POLICIES IN THE WAY THAT IT HAS.

I THINK THAT IT'S DONE A GREAT DEAL TO PROMOTE COMPETITION IN THE TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE INTERNET. AND I THINK THAT THIS MUST NOT BE IGNORED AND MUST BE HIGHLY RECOGNIZED IN THE WAY THAT IT'S FACILITATED NEW POLICY MAKING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: THANK YOU, ALAN. AND NOW WE HAVE SOME FINAL REMARKS BY MARILYN CADE.

AND, WELL, I THINK I HAVE A TEN-SECOND FINAL REMARK, WHICH IS MY POINT, IF YOU WISH. SO I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE INCLUDE A COUPLE OF REAL INTERNET USERS IN THE WORKING GROUP.

NOT PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR A MINISTRY WHO OVERSEES THE INTERNET AND NOT PEOPLE WHO RUN AN AGENCY AND PEOPLE WHO WRITE BOOKS, BUT REAL PEOPLE WHO USE THE INTERNET AND USE IT EVERY DAY.

THANK YOU.

>>MARILYN CADE: THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT AND YOUR PARTICIPATION SO FAR.

BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THIS MEETING HAS ILLUSTRATED TO US IN ORGANIZING IT IS THAT OUR JOURNEY IS REALLY BEGINNING IN HOW WE BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT THE ISSUES ARE THAT ARE BEFORE US AND HOW WE HELP TO INFORM OTHERS AND OURSELVES ABOUT THE ROLE OF ICANN AND ITS WORK IN THE LARGER SET OF DISCUSSIONS AND DEBATES ABOUT INTERNET GOVERNANCE.

SO TO BEGIN THAT PROCESS, WE CONCEPTUALIZED THE IDEA OF A TEMPLATE THAT WE WANTED TO USE FOR GATHERING INFORMATION FROM THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. AND WE DIDN'T MEAN TO BE QUITE IN THE FORM OF FIELD TESTING IT WITH YOU. BUT TODAY'S MEETING HAS REALLY ILLUSTRATED WE WILL NEED TO DO FURTHER CHANGES IN THE TEMPLATE. BUT LET ME JUST SHOW YOU A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT ASKING YOU TO TELL US.

OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO TAKE INPUT FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS AND TO LOOK FOR THE COMMONALITIES, AND THEN TO PREPARE A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS OR STATEMENTS THAT COULD GO TO THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION AND GROUPS IN ICANN AND ASK THEM TO ENDORSE AND SUPPORT THOSE MESSAGES.

THE TEMPLATE, I THINK, WAS HANDED OUT AS A SHEET WHEN YOU CAME IN. AND IT TODAY HAS 7 QUESTIONS. WE, AS I SAID, AFTER TODAY WILL CERTAINLY BE LOOKING AT MODIFYING IT. BUT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WILL BE REALLY EASY, LIKE WHO ARE YOU, AND CAN YOU PROVIDE CONTACT INFORMATION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ASKING GROUPS TO DO THIS.

AND THEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT ASKING THE GROUP TO EXPLAIN THE ROLE THAT THEY PLAY IN THE INTERNET SYSTEM OF UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS AND ITS SECURE AND STABLE OPERATION. SO I FILLED THE TEMPLATE OUT FOR THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY THAT I'M A MEMBER OF BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY MEMBERS ARE USERS OF THE INTERNET.

WE USE IP ADDRESSES, DOMAIN NAMES, WE RELY ON THE STABLE OPERATION OF THE ROOT SERVERS. AND WE'RE VERY, VERY DEPENDENT ON THE CONSENSUS POLICY PROCESS THAT TAKES PLACE IN ICANN.

I WENT ON TO EXPLAIN WHY ICANN'S ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY, AND I EXPLAINED WHY WE PARTICIPATE. THE BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY IS VERY COMMITTED TO THE BOTTOM-UP CONSENSUS-BASED PROCESS THAT BRINGS ALL OF US TOGETHER AS EQUAL STAKEHOLDERS AND WITH AN EQUAL VOICE IN DEVELOPING POLICY. AND THEN I DESCRIBED HOW WE PARTICIPATE IN ICANN. AND THEN I DESCRIBED HOW BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY USERS PARTICIPATE OUTSIDE OF ICANN IN MANY, MANY OTHER THINGS THAT AREN'T WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF ICANN BUT MAY BE RELATED BECAUSE THEY, TOO, MAY DEPEND ON THE INTERNET'S STABLE OPERATION. AND, FINALLY, I DESCRIBED SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE ALSO DISCUSSING INTERNET GOVERNANCE AND HOW BUSINESS CONSTITUENCY MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE.

FOR INSTANCE, SOME OF OUR MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE IN THE T SECTOR OF THE ITU. SOME OF OUR MEMBERS ARE ACTIVE IN APEC, IN C TELL, IN THE IETF. WE'RE ALSO ACTIVE, WE HAVE MEMBERS WHO ARE ACTIVE IN ARIN AND IN APNIC AND RIPE, ET CETERA. SOME OF OUR MEMBERS WERE ACTIVE IN HELPING TO CREATE THE COORDINATING OPERATIONS FOR THE BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN THE WSIS AND THE PREPCOM, ATTENDED ALL THE PREPCOMS, THE WSIS, SOME OF US PARTICIPATED IN THE US -- TASK FORCE IN MARCH AND THE JOINT ICANN AND CCTLD WORKSHOP.

BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF TOPICS OUTSIDE OF ICANN THAT ARE A CONCERN TO OUR MEMBERS. SOME OF THEM WERE MENTIONED TODAY. SOME OF THEM ARE AFFECTED BY THE WORK THAT WE DO AT ICANN.

SO WE'RE GOING TO USE THE TEMPLATE, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO MODIFY A BIT. AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK DIFFERENT GROUPS TO FILL THEM OUT.

WE'LL GATHER THEM, TAKE YOUR INPUT, AND WE'LL TRY TO DEVISE A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS CAN ENDORSE AND SIGN ON TO THAT CAN BE USED AS ADVICE AND GUIDANCE FOR BOTH THE ICANN BOARD AND THE ICANN COMMUNITY ITSELF THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THE INTERNET GOVERNANCE WORKING GROUP, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE WSIS PROCESS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY.

SO WHEN WE COME BACK TOGETHER IN CAPETOWN, WE'LL HOPE TO HAVE A FINAL PRODUCT TO PRESENT TO YOU FOR YOUR CONCURRENCE.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY, AND LET ME TURN THIS BACK TO VITTORIO.

>>VITTORIO BERTOLA: WELL, THANK YOU, MARILYN.

SO I THINK WE ARE DONE. I JUST WANTED TO THANK OUR GUESTS AND THANK EVERYONE ON THE ORGANIZING GROUP AND ALSO THANK THE PARTICIPANTS.

THANK YOU.

(APPLAUSE.)

(10:08 A.M.)