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>>VINT CERF: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOOD MORNING.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAYED START.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
THIS IS THE 22ND MEETING OF THE ICANN BOARD, AND THE FOURTH TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN IN LATIN AMERICA.
I'D LIKE TO BEGIN THE MEETING WITH THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE MOST RECENT BOARD CALL.
SO I WILL PLACE THAT RESOLUTION, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF MARCH 21ST, 2005, ON THE TABLE.
AND I WOULD ASK FOR A SECOND.
ALEX SECONDS.
AND NOW I ASK, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MINUTES, ANY MODIFICATIONS?
IN THAT CASE, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> AYE.
>>VINT CERF: ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED?
ARE THERE ANY ABSTENTIONS?
SO, MR. SECRETARY, THE MINUTES OF 21 MARCH, 2005, ARE APPROVED AS PRESENTED AND ADOPTED.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE EXPECTING THE RECOGNITION OF AFRINIC AS THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, I WILL DISAPPOINT YOU ONLY BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE HERE TO OBSERVE THAT EVENT.
SO I'M GOING TO DELAY THE AFRINIC RECOGNITION FOR A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THIS MORNING'S PROCEEDINGS.
SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA HAS TO DO WITH MODIFICATIONS OF ICANN BYLAWS THAT ARE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO CONFORM THEM TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN ICANN AND THE ASO AND ACTING -- THE ASO, WHICH IS ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE NRO.
I'D LIKE TO CALL ON RAIMUNDO BECA TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION, IN PART BECAUSE OF HIS ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN THE NRO AND THE RIRS.
SO, RAIMUNDO, YOU HAVE THE MICROPHONE.
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: THANK YOU, VINT.
IT'S A PLEASURE FOR ME TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION.
TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS MEANS THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NRO AND THE -- AND ICANN, AND I HAVE PERSONALLY FOUGHT A LOT IN FAVOR OF THAT.
THE RESOLUTION READS LIKE THIS: WHEREAS, ON THE 21ST OF OCTOBER, 2004, ICANN ENTERED A NEW ADDRESS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION, ASO, BY A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT REPLACES THE ORIGINAL MOU SIGNED BY ICANN AND THE RIRS IN 1999, AND AMENDED AFTERWARDS IN 2000.
WHEREAS, ARTICLE VIII OF THE BYLAWS CURRENTLY STATES THAT THE ASO WILL ADVISE THE BOARD WITH RESPECT TO POLICY ISSUES RELATING TO THE ASSIGNMENT OF INTERNET ADDRESSES, AND INCLUDES A REFERENCE THE 1999 VERSION OF THE ASO MOU.
WHEREAS, ON THE 5TH OF DECEMBER, 2004, THE BOARD AGREED TO CONSIDER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS THAT INCORPORATE A REFERENCE TO, AND THUS GIVE EFFECT TO, THE NEW ASO MOU, AND DIRECTED THE GENERAL COUNSEL TO POST THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WHEREAS, THE POSTING OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS HAS BEEN DULY AND TIMELY EXECUTED IN LINE WITH THE BOARD'S INSTRUCTIONS AND NO SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
RESOLVED, 05XX, THE BOARD ADOPTS THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS AS POSTED AND INSTRUCTS THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL TO TAKE SUCH ACTIONS AS APPROPRIATE TO IMPLEMENT THE AMENDMENTS AND THE NEW ASO MOU.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RAIMUNDO.
THIS RESOLUTION HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE TABLE.
IS THERE A SECOND?
VANDA SECONDS.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THIS RESOLUTION?
IF YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION, YOU WILL BE ADOPTING THE APPROPRIATE BYLAWS TO SUPPORT THE NEW ASO STRUCTURE AND RELATIONSHIP WITH ICANN, BETWEEN ICANN AND THE NRO.
LET ME CALL FOR THE VOTE, THEN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, 11, 12, 13, 14.
YES.
THANK YOU.
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED?
ARE THERE ANY ABSTENTIONS?
MR. SECRETARY, THE RESOLUTION TO CHANGE THE BYLAWS TO SUPPORT THE ASO PASSES UNANIMOUSLY AND SHOULD BE ENTERED INTO THE RECORD AS A MODIFICATION TO THE BYLAWS.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA HAS TO DO WITH THE POLICY FOR THE GLOBAL ALLOCATION OF IPV4 ADDRESSES.
PLAINLY, IPV4 ADDRESSES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, AND WE HAVE BEEN ALLOCATING THEM FOR MAYBE ON THE ORDER OF, LET'S SEE -- IF WE DO THE MATH -- SINCE 1978.
SO THERE WERE PROCEDURES IN THE PAST, BUT NEVER BEFORE HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO ADOPT FORMALLY A GLOBAL POLICY PRODUCED THROUGH THE NEW PROCESSES OF THE ASO AGREEMENT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK RAIMUNDO AGAIN TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE BOARD.
RAIMUNDO.
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VINT.
IT'S ALSO A PLEASURE FOR ME TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION, TO THE EXTENT THAT THE GLOBAL POLICIES WE DON'T HAVE MANY IN OUR WORLD, AND THIS PARTICULAR GLOBAL POLICY WAS APPROVED BY -- THROUGH A BOTTOM-UP PROCEDURE, FOLLOWING THE NEW ASO MOU METHODOLOGY.
THE RESOLUTION READS LIKE THIS: WHEREAS THE ASO ADDRESS COUNCIL HAS FORWARDED A CODIFICATION OF EXISTING GLOBAL POLICIES FOR ALLOCATION OF IPV4 ADDRESS BLOCKS FROM IANA TO THE REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRIES, THE RIRS, AFFIRMING THAT THE POLICY HAD BEEN APPROVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ADOPTED AND SPECIFIED BY THE ASO MOU.
WHEREAS, ON THE 18TH OF FEBRUARY, 2005, ICANN'S BOARD ADOPTED A RESOLUTION PRELIMINARILY ADOPTING THE PROPOSED POLICY AS A VALID CODIFICATION OF CURRENT PROCEDURES AND DIRECTED THE PRESIDENT TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE POLICY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE IANA FUNCTION.
WHEREAS, THE PROPOSED IPV4 GLOBAL ALLOCATION POLICY WAS POSTED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON 9 MARCH, 2005, WITH THE STATED GOAL OF FINALIZING ADOPTION OF THE POLICY, BARRING ANY SUBSTANTIAL OBJECTION FROM THE COMMUNITY OR CONSTITUENT BODIES AT THE ICANN MEETINGS IN MAR DEL PLATA, ARGENTINA, IN APRIL 2005.
WHEREAS THE BOARD HAS CONSIDERED THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE FORUM AND DETERMINED THAT EXISTING PROCEDURES ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED AND THAT NO OBJECTION WAS RAISED BY THE SECURITY AND STABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR OTHER ICANN ADVISORY BODIES.
RESOLVED 05XX, THE PROPOSED IPV4 GLOBAL ALLOCATION POLICY IS ADOPTED AND THE PRESIDENT IS DIRECTED TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE POLICY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE IANA FUNCTIONS.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RAIMUNDO.
IS THERE A SECOND?
I SEE MANY SECONDS.
MOUHAMET, WE'LL OFFICIALLY RECORD YOU AS THE SECONDER.
I HAVE ONE POINT TO MAKE ABOUT THIS RESOLUTION.
THERE IS A SMALL TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR, IN THE LAST -- SECOND TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH.
IT PROBABLY SHOULD READ THE -- LET'S SEE, WHEREAS THE BOARD HAS CONSIDERED THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE FORUM AND DETERMINED THAT EXISTING PROCEDURES ADEQUATELY ADDRESS INSTEAD OF "ADEQUATE."
SO, MR. SECRETARY, IF YOU WILL MAKE THAT AMENDMENT.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT MODIFICATION BY ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS?
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
YES.
>>DEMI GETSCHKO: JUST A QUESTION FOR IANA TO INFORM US, IF POSSIBLE.
THE ROUGH NUMBERS ABOUT THE ACTUAL IPV4 USAGE, HOW BIG IS THE FREE SPACE YET, AND HOW IS THE PACE OF CONSUMING THE NUMBERS?
JUST TO HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW WE ARE NOW.
>>VINT CERF: TWO -- THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
TWO POSSIBILITIES TO RESPOND.
BOARD MEMBERS MAY HAVE THE DATA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR.
ALTERNATIVELY, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE HAVE THE IANA GENERAL MANAGER IN THE ROOM.
IS BARBARA ROSEMAN HERE?
OR DOUG BARTON?
NO, NO, NO.
IT'S OKAY.
JUST -- RELAX.
OH, YOU HAVE -- YES, RAY PLZAK IS PROBABLY THE BEST PARTY TO RESPOND TO THIS.
NORMALLY, WE DON'T TAKE COMMENTS FROM THE FLOOR.
BUT -- AT THIS TIME.
BUT THIS IS A LEGITIMATE QUESTION.
>>RAY PLZAK: I'M RAY PLZAK, THE -- I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE NRO.
I AM ALSO THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ARIN.
AS OF THE 31ST OF DECEMBER, 2004, THE AMOUNT OF FREE, IF YOU WILL, OR ADDRESS SPACE THAT'S AVAILABLE FROM IANA TO BE ISSUED TO THE RIRS REPRESENTS ABOUT SOMEWHERE IN THE VINT OF 40 OR 45% OF ALL OF THE AVAILABLE IPV4 ADDRESS SPACE.
SO THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT.
IN REGARDS TO YOUR QUESTION AS TO HOW MUCH OR HOW LONG THIS WILL LAST, THERE HAVE BEEN A VARIETY OF STUDIES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS REGARDING THAT.
AND THAT NUMBER EXTENDS AS FAR OUT AS 40 YEARS AND DOWN TO TEN TO 20 YEARS.
SO IT'S ANYONE'S GUESS AS TO HOW LONG IT WILL LAST.
AND SO I WILL ALSO STATE THAT THE RIRS ARE VERY COGNIZANT OF THIS AND WE CONTINUE TO PRACTICE CONSERVATION IN OUR MANAGING OF THE IPV4 ADDRESS SPACE.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RAY.
JUST ONE SECOND.
ONE OTHER THING THAT YOU WILL FIND INTERESTING.
THERE IS AN ANIMATION THAT GEOFF HUSTON AND ONE OTHER PART PUT TOGETHER RECENTLY SHOWING THE RATE AT WHICH IPV4 ADDRESS SPACE AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM NUMBERS HAVE BEEN CONSUMED OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS.
YOU WILL FIND THIS VERY ILLUMINATING.
AND, IN FACT, I THINK WE SHOULD ARRANGE FOR THE BOARD TO ALL SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO WE'LL GET THE URL AND MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
I SAW TWO HANDS UP, I SAW RAIMUNDO, ALEX.
ALEX, YOU SAY YOU -- NO PROBLEM?
OKAY.
RAIMUNDO.
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: WELL, ONLY TO -- FOR THE MINUTES, IT'S A JOKE.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH RAY THAT WHEN WE ARE IN SOUTH AMERICA, HE IS CALLED "RAIMUNDO" AND I AM "RAY," BECAUSE THAT'S THE NAME FOR -- I CALL FOR HIM. EVERYBODY KNOWS HIM AS RAY.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IN ALL THE SITES OF EVERY OTHER ADDRESS, YOU FIND THE STATS.
AND IN SOME OF THEM, YOU FIND THE VIDEO YOU MENTIONED.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS RESOLUTION?
I'M ACTUALLY -- I'M ACTUALLY DRAWING A BLANK.
WE HAVE NOT VOTED ON THIS RESOLUTION, HAVE WE?
NO.
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
THE CHAIRMAN'S BRAIN IS FRIED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
ALL RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION, IF YOU VOTE IN FAVOR, WE WILL BE OFFICIALLY AND FORMALLY ADOPTING THE DOCUMENTED IPV4 ALLOCATION POLICY THAT IANA WILL FOLLOW IN ALLOCATING ADDRESSES TO THE RIRS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, 11, 12, 13, 14 -- WAIT A MINUTE.
I COUNTED 15 PEOPLE, AND THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG.
LET'S TRY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO BE A BOARD MEMBER TO VOTE ON THIS.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, 11, 12, 13, 14.
THANK YOU.
MR. SECRETARY, THE RESOLUTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA HAS TO DO WITH ANOTHER BYLAWS MODIFICATION, IN THIS CASE, IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM THE GNSO COUNCIL.
AND I'D LIKE MIKE PALAGE TO INTRODUCE AND OUTLINE THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION.
>>MICHAEL PALAGE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THE PROPOSED REGARDS CHANGES TO THE ICANN BYLAWS WITH REGARD TO THE GNSO COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES.
AND THE RESOLUTION READS AS FOLLOWS: WHEREAS, ON ICANN'S CORE VALUES FROM BYLAWS ARTICLE I, SECTION 2, SEEKING AND SUPPORTING BROAD, INFORMED PARTICIPATION REFLECTING THE FUNCTIONAL, GEOGRAPHIC, AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE INTERNET AT ALL LEVELS OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND DECISION-MAKING.
WHEREAS, THE TRANSITION ARTICLE OF THE BYLAWS STATED THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF FURTHER ACTION ON THE TOPIC BY THE NEW BOARD, EACH OF THE GNSO CONSTITUENCIES SHALL SELECT TWO REPRESENTATIVES TO THE GNSO COUNCIL.
WHEREAS THE BOARD RESOLVED IN CARTHAGE ON THE 31ST OF OCTOBER, 2003, TO CHANGE THE TRANSITION ARTICLES OF THE ICANN BYLAWS TO ALLOW EACH CONSTITUENCY OF THE GNSO TO CONTINUE TO BE REPRESENTED ON THE COUNCIL BY THREE REPRESENTATIVES PER CONSTITUENCY UNTIL THE END OF THE ICANN ANNUAL MEETING IN 2004.
WHEREAS, THE GNSO COUNCIL REQUESTED THAT THIS BOARD EXTEND THE ARRANGEMENT OF THREE REPRESENTATIVES PER CONSTITUENCY UNTIL THIS MEETING IN MAR DEL PLATA, ARGENTINA, IN ORDER FOR AN EXTERNAL REVIEW TO BE CONTEMPLATED FOLLOWING A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
WHEREAS, THE BOARD INITIATED A REVIEW OF THE GNSO COUNCIL IN 2004 PURSUANT TO THE BYLAWS, ARTICLE IV, SECTION 4, INCLUDING, AMONG OTHER ASPECTS OF THE REVIEW CRITERIA, AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFICACY OF HAVING THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE CONSTITUENCIES ON THE GNSO COUNCIL.
WHEREAS, THE REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT THAT PERFORMED THE GNSO COUNCIL REVIEW RECOMMENDED THAT THE COUNCIL IS NOT WORKING WELL -- IS WORKING WELL WITH THREE -- YES.
LET ME STRESS THAT AGAIN -- THE COUNCIL IS WORKING WELL WITH THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH CONSTITUENCY.
NO ONE WHO IS INVOLVED WITH THE COUNCIL PERCEIVES THAT HAVING THREE REPRESENTATIVES HINDERS THE WORKINGS OF THE COUNCIL.
WHEREAS THE GNSO COUNCIL COUNCIL'S SELF-REVIEW ALSO SUPPORTED THE CONTINUANCE OF THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH CONSTITUENCY.
WHEREAS THE PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW AND PROPOSED BY THE BYLAWS INDICATED NO SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION AND CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSAL TO MAINTAIN THREE REPRESENTATIVES PER CONSTITUENCY.
SO IT IS RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD ADOPT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS AS POSTED AND INSTRUCT THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL TO TAKE SUCH ACTIONS AS APPROPRIATE TO IMPLEMENT THE AMENDMENTS.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MIKE.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR THIS RESOLUTION?
ALEX PISANTY SECONDS.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THIS AMENDMENT?
ALEX.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, YESTERDAY, A COMMENT WAS RECEIVED SUPPORTING THIS RESOLUTION, AS HAS BEEN -- WE HAVE NOT SEEN, AS MENTIONED, COMMENTS AGAINST THIS CHANGE.
THERE WAS A COMMENT ASKING TO ENSHRINE THIS CHANGE FOR FIVE YEARS IN THE BYLAWS CHANGE.
I WOULD THINK THAT THIS IS NOT NECESSARY NOR FULLY APPROPRIATE, SINCE WE WOULD -- THIS WOULD PREJUDGE THE POSSIBLE RESULTS OF THE REGULAR REVIEW THAT WOULD BE APPLIED TO THE ORGANIZATION IN THREE YEARS' TIME, ACCORDING TO THE BYLAWS.
AND, OF COURSE, IF PLANNING AND RESOURCES ALLOW IT, DURING THAT TIME FRAME.
BUT I THINK WE ARE ENSURING ENOUGH STABILITY TO THIS DECISION AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS NO UNCERTAINTY BEYOND THE ONE -- IN THE NEED OF ALL THESE REVIEWS, THESE THREE-YEAR REVIEWS.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALEX.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: AND BY THE WAY, THIS DOESN'T DETRACT IN ANY WAY FROM THE TRUST ENGENDERED BY THE RESOLUTION AND THE DEMONSTRATION THAT HAS BEEN MADE, IN FACT, THAT THREE REPRESENTATIVES PER CONSTITUENCY HAS BEEN A GOOD COMPOSITION FOR THE COUNCIL.
I HAVE TO ADD A PERSONAL NOTE THAT I THINK THE COUNCIL WOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK VERY WELL WITH TWO PEOPLE.
BUT THEY HAVE CERTAINLY MADE VERY GOOD USE OF THE THIRD, OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AFFORDED BY THREE PEOPLE.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, ALEX. I THINK IT WAS OBSERVED BY MANY THAT HAVING THREE PEOPLE HELPED IN THE EVENT THAT ONE PERSON, FOR EXAMPLE, WASN'T AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A CONFERENCE CALL, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS RESOLUTION?
IF YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF IT, WE WILL MODIFY PERMANENTLY, UNTIL IT'S CHANGED AT ANOTHER TIME, IF IT'S CHANGED, THE THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH ONE OF THE -- I'M SAYING THIS BADLY.
WE WILL CHANGE THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED TO THREE PERMANENTLY.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS.
I SEE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, 11, 12, 13, 14 HANDS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MR. SECRETARY, THIS MODIFICATION TO THE BYLAWS ALSO IS VOTED UNANIMOUSLY. AND I'M SURE OUR FRIENDS IN THE GNSO COUNCIL APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT.
WE TURN NOW TO ANOTHER RESOLUTION WHICH IS OF SOME IMPORTANCE TO EVERYONE, BECAUSE IT INTRODUCES ANOTHER TLD INTO THE DOMAIN NAME SPACE; SPECIFICALLY, .JOBS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK HAGEN HULTZSCH TO INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION. SO HAGEN.
>>HAGEN HULTZSCH: WITH PLEASURE.
THE RESOLUTION AND THE RELATED DOCUMENTATION IS AVAILABLE FOR READING ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE.
AS YOU SEE, THE DIALOGUE AND THE NEGOTIATION ON THIS AGREEMENT STARTED ON 13TH DECEMBER 2004, AND THERE WAS, LATER ON, A SIGNIFICANT DIALOGUE ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND THE GAC WAS ESPECIALLY INVOLVED, WHICH IS DESCRIBED IN THE FIFTH PARAGRAPH ON THE SCREEN.
AND I READ NOW THE RESOLUTION ITSELF FOR YOU, SO YOU ARE WELL INFORMED.
THE PRESIDENT AND THE GENERAL COUNSEL ARE DIRECTED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO PRESERVE THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO TAKE ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE REGISTRATION OF GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS OF NAMES COUNTRIES AND DISTINCT ECONOMIES.
AND THAT SUBJECT TO THE AMENDMENT OF APPENDIX 6 OF THE PROPOSED SPONSORED TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN REGISTRY AGREEMENT TO INCLUDE THE NAMES OF COUNTRIES AND DISTINCT ECONOMIES, THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH EMPLOY MEDIA CONCERNING THE .JOBS SPONSORED TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN IS APPROVED AND THE PRESIDENT IS AUTHORIZED TO TAKE SUCH ACTIONS AS APPROPRIATE TO IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH HAGEN. IS THERE A SECOND?
I HAVE A SECOND FROM VENI.
I HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM ON THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TEXT OF THE FIRST PORTION OF THE RESOLUTION, YOU WILL SEE MENTION OF THE ABILITY TO PRESERVE THE BOARD -- THE PROVISION TO PRESERVE THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO TAKE ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE REGISTRATION IN GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS OF NAMES OF COUNTRIES AND DISTINCT ECONOMIES. I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THIS LANGUAGE IS OVERLY BROAD AND THAT THE MORE PRECISE LANGUAGE SHOULD READ "WITH RESPECT TO REGISTRATION IN THIS GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN," BECAUSE THE RESOLUTION IS SPECIFIC TO .JOBS.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD THAT THE BOARD IS ADOPTING A BLANKET RESTRICTION ON ALL GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS AT THIS TIME.
JUST BY WAY OF EXPLANATION, THE REASON THIS IS IN HERE AT ALL IS TO ACCOMMODATE A CONCERN WHICH IS EXPRESSED IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH FROM THE GAC THAT REFERENCES TO THESE KINDS OF NAMES COULD BE A POTENTIAL HAZARD. AND SO WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS MATTER CAN BE ADDRESSED IN THE DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ICANN AND THE OPERATOR OF .JOBS. SO I'D ASK GENERAL COUNSEL WHETHER THIS MODIFICATION WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD IS APPLICABLE AND APPROPRIATE.
>>JOHN JEFFREY: YES, IT IS, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU.
I'LL ASK THE BOARD NOW IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTION TO THAT MODIFICATION.
I SEE NO OBJECTIONS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS RESOLUTION?
PETER.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I'M GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION, BUT JUST MAKE THE OBSERVATION THAT THE PARAGRAPH THAT YOU REFERRED TO ABOUT THE GAC ADVICE, THE BOARD IS TAKING TEMPORARY STEPS, AND THE SAME CLAUSE APPEARS IN THE SUBSEQUENT RESOLUTION ABOUT ANOTHER GTLD.
WE NEED TO JUST BE AWARE OF THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF THIS, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BEST PROCESS TO MOVE THIS THROUGH IS. BUT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT THE GNSO ITSELF TAKE NOTICE OF THIS RESOLUTION AND START WORK ON SOME POLICY WHICH WILL END THIS TEMPORARY STATUS WHICH, IN THE END, HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATING SOME UNCERTAINTY.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PETER. POINT WELL MADE.
JUST TO MAKE A MORE GENERAL OBSERVATION, WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES FOR GENERIC TLD CREATION.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT IS IN THAT CONTEXT THAT THIS MATTER AND OTHER SIMILAR ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO I THANK YOU, PETER, FOR DRAWING THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE GNSO COUNCIL. I TRUST THAT THEY WILL BE AWARE OF OUR MINUTES. BUT JUST IN CASE, MIKE PALAGE, SINCE YOU HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF INTERACTIONS WITH THE GNSO, WOULD YOU KINDLY DRAW THIS TO THEIR ATTENTION JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT PETER'S COMMENT IS KNOWN TO THEM?
>>MICHAEL PALAGE: YES, MR. CHAIRMAN. BOTH ALEX AND MYSELF AS THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GNSO WILL TAKE THIS TO THE COUNCIL AND TO THE CONSTITUENCIES.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MICHAEL.
PETER, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO TURN YOUR MICROPHONE OFF. YOUR MICROPHONE IS ON.
THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS RESOLUTION, I'LL BE CALLING FOR THE VOTE MOMENTARILY.
SEEING NONE, I ASK THAT ALL OF YOU WHO VOTE IN FAVOR OF ESTABLISHING .JOBS AS THE NEXT NEW STLD IN THE DOMAIN NAME SPACE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, 11, 12, 13, 14.
I WON'T ASK FOR ABSTENTIONS AND OBJECTIONS BECAUSE THAT WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
MR. SECRETARY, WE CAN NOW ANNOUNCE THAT .JOBS IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
(APPLAUSE.).
>>VINT CERF: THE NEXT RESOLUTION FOR CONSIDERATION HAS TO DO WITH ANOTHER TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN, .TRAVEL. AND I'M GOING TO ASK NJERI RIONGE TO INTRODUCE THIS, BUT BEFORE SHE DOES SO, NJERI, I THINK WE WANT TO LOOK AT THE TEXT AND OBSERVE THAT IT HAS THE SAME FLAW, FORGIVE ME FOR THE HARSH OBSERVATION, THAT THE PREVIOUS ONE HAD.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE THE MODIFICATION -- LET'S DO THIS RIGHT. NJERI, YOU INTRODUCE THE RESOLUTION. WE'LL FIX THIS LITTLE PROBLEM AFTERWARDS. GO AHEAD.
>>NJERI RIONGE: THANK YOU.
PROPOSED STLD AGREEMENT FOR .TRAVEL.
WHEREAS, ON OCTOBER 18TH, 2004, THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS RELATING TO PROPOSED COMMERCIAL AND TECHNICAL TERMS FOR THE .TRAVEL SPONSORED TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN WITH THE APPLICANT, TRALLIANCE CORPORATION. WHEREAS, ON THE 24 WHICH MARCH, 2004, ICANN ANNOUNCED THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE APPLICANT FOR THE .TRAVEL SPONSORED TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AND POSTED THE PROPOSED .TRAVEL SPONSORED TLD REGISTRY AGREEMENT ON THE ICANN WEB SITE.
WHEREAS, THE BOARD HAS DETERMINED THAT APPROVAL OF THE AGREEMENT, AND THE DELEGATION OF A .TRAVEL SPONSORED TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN TO TRALLIANCE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR ICANN AND THE INTERNET COMMUNITY.
WHEREAS, ICANN'S GOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THE GAC, HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE ISSUE OF GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEOPOLITICAL NAMES IS VERY COMPLEX AND THE SUBJECT OF ONGOING INTERNATIONAL DISCUSSIONS, THE BOARD HAS DETERMINED THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE TO TAKE TEMPORARY STEPS TO PREVENT THE REGISTRATION OF SUCH NAMES IN THE NEW TLDS IN ORDER TO ALLOW IT AND THE COMMUNITY THE TIME TO CONSIDER CAREFULLY THIS ISSUE AND DETERMINE WHAT, IF ANY, POLICY SHOULD BE ADOPTED WITH RESPECT TO IT.
IT WAS THEN RESOLVED, THE PRESIDENT AND THE GENERAL COUNSEL ARE DIRECTED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO PRESERVE THE BOARD'S ABILITY TO TAKE ACTION WITH RESPECT TO THE REGISTRATION IN GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS OF NAMES OF COUNTRIES AND DISTINCT ECONOMIES.
IT WAS RESOLVED THAT THE SUBJECT OF THE AMENDMENT OF APPENDIX 6 OF THE PROPOSED SPONSORED TLD REGISTRY AGREEMENT TO INCLUDE THE NAMES OF THE COUNTRIES AND DISTINCT ECONOMIES, THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH TRALLIANCE CONCERNING THE .TRAVEL STLD IS APPROVED, AND THE PRESIDENT IS AUTHORIZED TO TAKE SUCH ACTIONS AS APPROPRIATE TO IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT.
THANK YOU.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, NJERI. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL TAKE PETER'S SECOND THIS TIME. THANK YOU, PETER. I'LL MAKE THE SAME OBSERVATION NOW ABOUT THE PREVIOUS RESOLUTION AS TO MODIFY THE LANGUAGE THERE TO MAKE THIS RESTRICTION SPECIFIC TO THE .TRAVEL TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN. SO THERE'S ASSUMING THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO THAT MODIFICATION, MR. SECRETARY, PLEASE MAKE THAT ALTERATION IN THE RESOLUTION.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT WHAT WE ARE GIVING PERMISSION TO THE STAFF AND THE PRESIDENT TO DO IS TO COMPLETE THE STEPS TAKEN TO INITIATE THIS TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN. AND IN PARTICULAR, I NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT OUR GUIDANCE IS SPECIFICALLY SUBJECT TO AMENDING APPENDIX 6 OF THE PARTY THAT IS OPERATING .TRAVEL, TRALLIANCE, WILL NEED TO AGREE TO THAT AMENDMENT AND MAKE THAT AMENDMENT BEFORE THE STAFF CAN INITIATE THE ACTIVITY.
SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN? MICHAEL.
>>MICHAEL PALAGE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS FOLLOWING THE POSTING OF THE .TRAVEL AGREEMENT, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS RAISED, BOTH DURING THE PUBLIC FORUM AS WELL AS VIA SOME E-MAIL THAT HAVE BEEN SENT INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY TO THE BOARD REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN.
I KNOW, MYSELF, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER DIRECTORS HAVE ENGAGED IN DISCUSSIONS WITH GENERAL COUNSEL REGARDING THE VERACITY OF THESE CLAIMS, AND I BELIEVE THAT BASED UPON QUESTIONS THAT GENERAL COUNSEL HAS PROVIDED TO ME, THEY'VE BEEN ANSWERED SATISFACTORILY AND I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION.
>>VINT CERF:THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MICHAEL. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT OBSERVATION. MOUHAMET AND ALEC.
>>MOUHAMET DIOP: THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THIS APPROVAL, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO VOTE ON APPROVAL OF THE .TRAVEL, I JUST WANT TO REMIND STRONGLY THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PAST, AND I THINK THAT THERE WERE MANY ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE ICANN COMMUNITY. BUT AS USUAL, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE THE ANSWER FOR ALL THE -- ALL THE ISSUE WE HAVE TO SOLVE FOR GOOD IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS EVOLUTION OF THE TLD, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE ISSUE RAISED BY THE NAME.
AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY -- I'M REALLY PLEASED TO SEE THAT AROUND ICANN WE HAVE SUFFICIENT SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION AND COMMITTEE THAT CAN HELP ICANN TO WORK STRONGLY AND TO COME OUT WITH SOME RESOLUTION ABOUT HOW WE CAN REINFORCE THE NAMING POLICY THAT WE HAVE IN ORDER TO AVOID THE COMPLEXITY THAT PEOPLE ARE RAISING DUE TO GEOGRAPHICAL OR GEOPOLITICAL OR CULTURAL NAME THAT HAVE TO BE RAISED. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE IGNORE THAT THERE WAS MANY ISSUES AND MANY ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO SORT OUT THIS TYPE OF THING, AND I THINK WE REALLY OPEN UP TO FOLLOW-UP ON THIS ISSUE AND GET BETTER GUIDANCE THROUGH OUR ORGANIZATION.
SO WE WILL ENDORSE ALL THE WORKS THAT PEOPLE WILL DO ON THIS, AND I THINK IT'S FOR THE BENEFIT OF ICANN AND ALL THE USERS TO COME OUT WITH A BETTER POLICY IN THE FUTURE.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MOUHAMET.
ALEX.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, TWO POINTS. FIRST, IN SUPPORT OF WHAT MICHAEL HAS ALREADY MENTIONED, WHICH IS THAT IN A CAREFUL ANALYSIS, HE SEES NO OBJECTION TO MOVING FORWARD THAT COMES FROM THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
I'VE LEARNED INFORMALLY LAST EVENING THAT EVEN A FEW STATEMENTS OF FACT THAT -- OR APPARENTLY STATEMENTS OF FACT THAT WERE MADE HERE, LIKE HAVING BEEN ABLE TO REGISTER UNENTITLED NAMES UNDER ANOTHER RELATED GTLD ARE REALLY NOT BACKED BY FACT.
IT'S NOT NIT-PICKING, IT DOESN'T ALTER SUBSTANTIALLY THE RESOLUTION. BUT IT REINFORCES WHAT MIKE HAS ALREADY TOLD US; THAT THERE'S BEEN A CAREFUL INVESTIGATION AND THERE IS, AS HE SAYS, NO FINDING THAT WOULD STOP US -- WOULD IMPEDE PROGRESS WITH THIS RESOLUTION.
SECOND, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO -- THAT THE BOARD EMPHASIZE THAT FIRST, WITH THE PROTECTION -- ENABLING THE BOARD, KEEPING THE BOARD ENABLED TO HAVE THE FREEDOM IT NEEDS WITH RESPECT TO NAMES OF GEOGRAPHICAL OR GEOPOLITICAL NATURE AT THE COUNTRY LEVEL DOES NOT CREATE NEW LAW, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FIRST PRINCIPLES THAT WE ALWAYS MUST LOOK FOR IN THIS.
AND SECOND, IT RESPONDS WITH SENSITIVITY THAT THE ICANN BOARD AND THE ICANN COMMUNITY, THE GNSO AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, HAVE TO THIS QUESTION AND TO THE CONCERNS OF GOVERNMENT FOR A LONG TIME AND WHICH IS PARTICULARLY UNDERLINED IN THE PRESENT WSIS CONTEXT.
THIS IS THE TYPE OF RESPONSE THAT IS POSSIBLE TO DO WITHOUT BREAKING THE TECHNICAL RULES, AS YOU HAVE FREQUENTLY MENTIONED AND AS IS FREQUENTLY SAID IN OUR MEDIUM. IT DOESN'T CONTRADICT PHYSICS. AND IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERLINE THAT WE ARE TAKING ACTION TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT THAT THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF AND ITS RULES ALLOW.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. RAIMUNDO, I THINK I SAW YOUR HAND.
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: THANKS, VINT. ONLY TO UNDERLINE THAT THIS RESOLUTION HAS SLIGHT DIFFERENCE WITH THE ONE OF .JOBS WE JUST APPROVED. TO THE EXTENT THAT IN THE CASE OF THE .JOBS, THERE'S A SENTENCE I WOULD READ WHICH STATES THAT "WHEREAS, IN RESPONSE TO THE BOARD RESOLUTION ON 13 DECEMBER 2004, THE APPLICATION HAS PROVIDED SATISFACTORY DETAILS AS TO THE BROAD-BASED MECHANISM FOR POLICY MAKING FOR THE SPONSORED COMMUNITY AND HOW THIS SUPPORTED TLD WOULD BE DIFFERENTIATED IN THE NAME SPACE."
WHAT HAPPENED IS THE .JOBS, LIKE OTHER -- LIKE ONE MORE APPLICATION, WAS EVALUATED IN THE SPONSORSHIP NOT VERY WELL BY THE EXTERNAL EVALUATOR, SO IN THE NEGOTIATION THE APPLICANT HAD TO APPROVE AND GIVE NEW ELEMENTS TO MAKE THIS SATISFACTORY. IN THE CASE OF .TRAVEL, NOW, THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THEY HAD A SATISFACTORY EVALUATION BY THE EXTERNAL EVALUATOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. BEFORE I CALL FOR A VOTE ON THIS, I WANT TO MAKE ONE OTHER OBSERVATION AND IT'S ALONG THE LINES OF THE PHYSICS COMMENT THAT ALEX BROUGHT UP.
I THINK THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN THAT'S SIX CHARACTERS LONG. THERE ARE VERY LIKELY GOING TO BE SOME PROBLEMS INTRODUCING THAT TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN.
IN FACT, THERE HAD BEEN DIFFICULTIES INTRODUCING TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS WITH MORE THAN THREE CHARACTERS.
I THINK THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN THAT'S SIX CHARACTERS LONG.
THERE ARE VERY LIKELY GOING TO BE SOME PROBLEMS INTRODUCING THAT TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN, IN FACT, THERE HAD BEEN DIFFICULTIES INTRODUCING TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS WITH MORE THAN THREE CHARACTERS.
AND SO THIS MERELY SUGGESTS TO ME AGAIN THAT WE HAVE A CAMPAIGN TO EXPLAIN TO EVERYONE WHO WRITES SOFTWARE THAT DEALS WITH DOMAIN NAMES TO NOT BREAK WHEN THEY HAVE A BIG, LONG ONE.
I SEE LOTS OF HANDS UP.
STEVE, JOHN, AND MIKE.
>>STEVE CROCKER: SO DOT MUSEUM, I THINK, WOULD BE -- IT'S EARLY.
>>VINT CERF: YES.
THE -- THE CHAIRMAN WILL ADMIT THAT HE'S UNABLE TO COUNT BEFORE 10:00 IN THE MORNING.
THANK YOU.
>>STEVE CROCKER: BUT YOU MAKE AN IMPORTANT POINT.
AND AS YOU OBSERVED, THE ISSUE HAS COME UP BEFORE.
I RECALL THAT WHEN DOT INFO AND DOT NAMES WERE INTRODUCED, THEY SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEMS WITH SOFTWARE THAT WOULDN'T RECOGNIZED OR DIDN'T BELIEVE THE NAMES.
WE COULD HOPE THAT THAT PRIOR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN GENERALIZED AND THAT THIS WILL BE LESS OF A PROBLEM IN THIS CASE.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY IMPORTANT TO FLAG IT AND TO LOOK TO SEE -- TO BE SENSITIVE TO SEE IF THAT'S A PROBLEM, AND IF IT IS, IF IT CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM, THEN WE SHOULD MOUNT A CAMPAIGN.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU.
I TAKE IT THAT THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AND ADVISOR'S HANDS WERE UP TO REMIND THE CHAIR THAT HE CAN'T COUNT.
SO NOTED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS?
ALEX.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, I WOULD RESCUE FROM THE EVALUATION REPORT THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED BEING CIRCULATED ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW GTLDS THE PARTS OF IT THAT COME MOST TO MIND IS FIRST THAT THERE IS A COMMENT, AN EXTENSIVE COMMENT, ABOUT THE LENGTH OF STRINGS AND ITS EFFECTS, AND, SECOND, THERE'S A NEAT PHRASE, SENTENCE, IF I REMEMBER WELL, WHICH IS INTRODUCING NEW GTLDS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
SO I GUESS THE PROPONENTS OF .TRAVEL ARE PROPERLY WARNED.
>>VINT CERF: ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IN THAT CASE, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF INTRODUCING .TRAVEL TO THE DOMAIN NAME SPACE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
>> JOHN JEFFREY: MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>VINT CERF: YES.
>>JOHN JEFFREY: JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
WAS THERE A PROPOSED AMENDMENT FROM RAIMUNDO BECA?
>>VINT CERF: NO.
I DON'T THINK THAT WAS AN AMENDMENT.
THAT WAS SIMPLY AN OBSERVATION OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE .JOBS RESOLUTION AND .TRAVEL.
.JOBS WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION EXPLAINING HOW ITS PROCESSES AND POLICIES WOULD DIFFERENTIATE IT.
.TRAVEL PROVIDED SUFFICIENT INFORMATION THAT WE DID NOT NEED ADDITIONAL EXPLANATION.
>>JOHN JEFFREY: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>VINT CERF: I'LL CALL FOR THAT VOTE ONE MORE TIME.
ALL IN FAVOR OF INTRODUCING .TRAVEL AS THE NEXT TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE -- 13, 14.
THANK YOU.
MR. SECRETARY, --
>>SHARIL TARMIZI: SORRY. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT AFTER YOU FINISH.
>>VINT CERF: GO AHEAD.
>>SHARIL TARMIZI: I PRESUME YOU -- IT'S BEEN ACCEPTED UNANIMOUSLY?
>>VINT CERF: YES.
>>SHARIL TARMIZI: I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, AFTER LISTENING TO THE BOARD AND ITS DISCUSSIONS AND DELIBERATIONS ON THIS ISSUE, I'M VERY GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL TO THE BOARD FOR HEARING THE CONCERNS OF THE GOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET THINGS DONE.
BUT WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERNS.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SHARIL.
NOW I AM GOING TO PERMUTE THE ORDER OF THE RESOLUTIONS, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE RESOLUTION ON AFRINIC.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK MOUHAMET DIOP IF HE WILL INTRODUCE THIS RESOLUTION.

>>MOUHAMET DIOP: THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
I THINK THAT ALL OF YOU WERE HERE YESTERDAY WHEN WE HAVE A PRE-EVENT.
I'M PLEASED TO READ THIS RESOLUTION ABOUT THE RECOGNITION OF AFRINIC AS REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRY.
WHEREAS ICANN HAS PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED A SET OF PROCEDURES AND STANDARDS FOR THE RECEIPT AND EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR RECOGNITION AS A REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRY.
WHEREAS AN APPLICATION FOR RECOGNITION, TOGETHER WITH A DETAILED TRANSITION PLAN, INCLUDING DRAFT BYLAWS, POLICIES, FUNDING MODEL, AND STAFF RESUMES, WAS SUBMITTED TO ICANN BY THE AFRICAN INTERNET NUMBERS REGISTRY, AFRINIC.
WHEREAS APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC, AND RIPE NCC, THROUGH THE NUMBERS RESOURCE ORGANIZATION, NRO, COMMUNICATED A JOINT STATEMENT PRAISING THE EXCELLENT WORK OF THE AFRINIC ORGANIZATION, NOTING THE CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE INCUMBENT RIRS AND AFRINIC AND RECOMMENDING A FAVORABLE RESPONSE TO THE APPLICATION BY RECOGNIZING AFRINIC'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
WHEREAS THE BOARD, ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2004, GAVE ITS PROVISIONAL RECOGNITION TO AFRINIC AS A REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRY FOR THE AFRICA REGION, WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THE TRANSITION PLAN WOULD BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED AND APPLICATION FOR RECOGNITION WOULD BE SUPPLEMENTED AND FINALIZED.
WHEREAS THE AFRINIC ORGANIZATION HAS REACHED THE CONCLUSION OF ITS TRANSITION PLAN AND HAS SUBMITTED AN UPDATED APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL AND RECOGNITION.
WHEREAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NRO HAS COMMUNICATED THE COLLECTIVE FAVORABLE ASSESSMENT OF AFRINIC'S APPLICATION BY THE RIRS AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FINAL APPROVAL AND RECOGNITION OF AFRINIC.
WHEREAS THE PRESIDENT HAS REVIEWED THE AFRINIC APPLICATION AND THE IANA REPORT ON THE APPLICATION AND DETERMINED THAT IT IS IN FULL CONFORMANCE WITH THE CRITERIA SET FORTH IN ICP-2, THAT AFRINIC HAS COMPLETED ITS TRANSITION PLAN AND HAS MET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FINAL RECOGNITION.
RESOLVED, THE BOARD PROCLAIMS AFRINIC TO BE A FULLY APPROVED AND RECOGNIZED REGIONAL INTERNET REGISTRY TO PROVIDE IP ADDRESS REGISTRATION AND OTHER SERVICES FOR THE AFRICAN SERVICE REGION.
RESOLVED, THE BOARD CONGRATULATES AND THANKS THE NRO, AFRINIC, AND ITS ORGANIZERS, BOARD, PRESIDENT, STAFF, AND MEMBERS, AND OTHER SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTIES FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS, DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE IN SERVICES AT THE EXECUTIVE, REGISTRATION, AND TECHNICAL LEVEL, AND COMMITMENT TO THE VALUES OF REGIONAL REPRESENTATION, GLOBAL COORDINATION, OPENNESS, AND BOTTOM-UP SELF-MANAGEMENT IN THE BEST TRADITIONS OF THE INTERNET.
THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE A SECOND?
NJERI.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS ON THIS RESOLUTION?
ALEX.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, AGAIN, AND ONLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION.
THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL POINT.
FIRST, I WOULD ENCOURAGE A VERY BROAD COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN TO MAKE IT PROMPTLY KNOWN THAT AFRINIC IS NOW FULLY LIVE, OPERATIONAL, AND RECOGNIZED AND LOUDLY COMMENDED FOR TWO PARTICULAR REASONS.
ONE OF THEM, TO MAKE IT WELL KNOWN THAT ICANN HAS COMPLETED THIS TRANSITION TO ALL REGIONS BEING SERVED BY FULLY EQUIPPED RIRS IN THE -- IN ITS PROGRAM.
THUS, THIS COMMENDS THE RIRS AND THE NRO FOR THIS EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT.
AND ALSO TO COMPLIMENT THIS COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN, THIS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ALSO, IN HELPING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE IP ADDRESS ALLOCATION SYSTEM WORKS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN FLOATED -- THEY ARE NOT NEW, NOT COMPLETELY ORIGINAL, BUT MAYBE THE PROPONENTS ARE JUST COMING TO THEM -- THAT ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE WAY THE SYSTEM HAS TO WORK.
IT'S NOT ONLY THE WAY IT WORKS NOW, IT'S NOT ONLY CONSERVATISM, BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF IDEAS OF COMPETING ALLOCATIONS, WHICH WOULD FIRST OF ALL RUN THE RISK OF RUNNING COUNTER TO THE PRINCIPLE OF NOT MONETIZING ADDRESS SPACE, WHICH HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME A PRINCIPLE ALL THE COMMUNITY HAS HELD, AND WHICH WOULD, IN MOST PROBABILITY, HOPELESSLY BREAK THE SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS A VERY, VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE BROADLY TO A TECHNICAL AND ESPECIALLY TO A NON-TECHNICAL COMMUNITY INTERESTED IN THIS FIELD HOW THIS WORKS AND WHY THE SYSTEM IS NOW COMPLETE.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALEX.
RAIMUNDO.
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: I WILL SPEAK IN SPANISH.
(NO INTERPRETATION AVAILABLE.)
OH, SO WELL --
(LAUGHTER.)
>>VINT CERF: YES, THERE IS NO INTERPRETATION, SO THIS IS A LITTLE PROBLEM.
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: NO PROBLEM.
NO PROBLEM. NO.
I WANTED TO STAY IN SPANISH TO INDICATE THE ENORMOUS SUPPORT THAT THE -- THAT THIS CREATION OF -- OR THIS RECOGNITION OF AFRINIC HAS HAD FROM THE ORGANIZATION, FROM ICANN, WHICH IS LACNIC, AND ALSO THE PERSONAL EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ON THIS ISSUE.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RAIMUNDO.
I'M SORRY, DID I SEE MOUHAMET?
YES.
>>MOUHAMET DIOP: I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I WON'T BE MORE AUDIBLE OR MORE LOUD THAN WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN YESTERDAY AND TODAY.
JUST A SMALL THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE INITIATIVE AND PEOPLE WHO AT THE BEGINNING AND ARE NOT HERE IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE WITH ICANN, ESPECIALLY THE FORMER BOARD MEMBERS NII QUAYNOR, AND ALL THE PIONEER WHO IS HAVE WORKED HARD TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL.
AND I CAN SAY PROUDLY ONE THING, AFRINIC IS, AT THE AFRICAN LEVEL, THE ONLY -- THE UNIQUE INSTITUTION WORKING FOR THE INTERNET FOR THE WHOLE CONTINENT THAT HAS BEEN SET UP FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE WHOLE CONTINENT.
AND WE ARE THANKFUL OF ICANN FOR HELPING THIS THING TO HAPPEN.
AND ALSO THANKS FOR THE NRO AND ALL THE REGISTRIES FOR THEIR SUPPORT. AND ALL THE INDIVIDUALS, I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL THE INTERNET USERS INSIDE ICANN COMMUNITY, WHO ARE REALLY PROUD AND SUPPORTIVE FOR THAT IDEA SINCE THE BEGINNING.
SO THANKS.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WOULD LIKE TO -- UNLESS THERE -- OH, ANOTHER COMMENT?
NO.
OKAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION BY ACCLAMATION.

(APPLAUSE.)
(STANDING OVATION.)

>>VINT CERF: LET ME ASK ADIEL, ARE YOU THERE?
RAY PLZAK, REPRESENTING NRO, PLEASE COME UP, COME ONTO THE STAGE.
IS THAT RAY OR RAIMUNDO THAT'S COMING ON THE STAGE?
WHY DON'T YOU COME OUT HERE.
NJERI, COME ON.
I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO REMAIN STANDING.
AND WHERE IS NJERI?
NJERI'S OVER THERE.
OKAY.
THIS -- I JUST WANT TO MAKE A FORMAL STATEMENT THAT THIS NEW STEP IN THE CREATION OF APPARATUS FOR THE INTERNET, THE NEW RIR, AFRINIC, IS PROBABLY -- OH, I'M GOING TO CRY!
IT JUST MEANS SO MUCH TO SEE TWO YEARS OF HARD WORK FINALLY COME TO FRUITION.
SO MOUHAMET, CONGRATULATIONS; ADIEL, RAY ON BEHALF OF THE NRO.
AND NJERI, TO HELL WITH THAT!
(APPLAUSE.)
>>ADIEL AKPLOGAN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VINT.
THANKS TO THE ICANN BOARD.
I THINK IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL MOMENT FOR US, ALL THE AFRICAN REPRESENTATIVES HERE TODAY.
WE MADE IT FINALLY.
AND WE ENSURE YOU, WE ASSURE THE COMMUNITY, ICANN, OF OUR CONTINUOUS WORK CLOSELY WITH THIS COMMUNITY AND OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERNET COORDINATION, TECHNICAL COORDINATION SYSTEM.
AS MOUHAMET SAID, WE HAVE MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HERE TODAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK VERY MUCH FROM -- DEEPLY FOR HELP.
(INAUDIBLE) WHO STARTS THIS PROJECT, ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO GIVE US THE NECESSARY SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE ACHIEVE TODAY.
I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO HAVE A THOUGHT TO MY STAFF, WHO IS NOT HERE TODAY, BUT WHO IS WATCHING THIS EVENT FROM MAURITIUS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT ALONG THIS LONG ROAD.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>ADIEL AKPLOGAN: AND WE ARE ALMOST THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>VINT CERF: BEFORE YOU STEP DOWN, LET ME JUST TELL YOU ONE OTHER THING.
I GOT AN E-MAIL YESTERDAY FROM RANDY BUSH.
AND SOME OF YOU KNOW -- OH, I JUST HAVE TO CALM MYSELF -- RANDY HAS BEEN WORKING TO BRING INTERNET EVERYWHERE, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.
HE WANTED ME TO TELL YOU HOW EXCITED, PLEASED AND FULL HE FEELS THAT THIS HAS FINALLY HAPPENED.
SO I WANTED TO JUST PERSONALLY THANK RANDY FOR HIS LONG CONTRIBUTIONS, VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS, TO HELP MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: OKAY.
GO OUT THERE AND ALLOCATE SOME RIR ADDRESS SPACE.
OH, I'M SORRY.
>>NJERI RIONGE: I AM HONORED AND HUMBLED TO BE SAYING SOMETHING TO THE COMMUNITY, THE ICANN COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM, ARE WE GOING TO BE CELEBRATING IN MAPUTO?
IS THAT A CONFIRMATION?
CAN WE INVITE EVERYBODY TO ATTEND?
WE WILL HAVE AN AFRICAN CELEBRATION FOR AFRINIC.
THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN MAKE IT, PERHAPS MAYBE WE CAN TELL THEM THE DATES.
>>ADIEL AKPLOGAN:IAL, IT WILL BE ON THE 26TH OF APRIL.
>>NJERI RIONGE: 26TH OF APRIL.
I GUESS IT'S A BIT CLOSE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN COME TO MAPUTO, WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE ONE HELL OF A BUST. SO YOU ARE INVITED.
THANK YOU.
(APPLAUSE.)
>>RAY PLZAK: ADIEL, MY BROTHER, WELCOME TO OUR COMMUNITY AS A FULL-FLEDGED RIR.
YOU -- I WISH TO EXPRESS TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THE STAFFS OF ALL THE RIRS OUR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE, AND AS MOUHAMET POINTED OUT, THAT THERE IS NOW A CONTINENT-WIDE VOICE IN AFRICA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNET.
AND TO THIS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO YOU.
AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE STAFFS OF ALL OF THE RIRS AND THE NRO, WELCOME.
>>ADIEL AKPLOGAN: THANK YOU
(APPLAUSE.)
>>MOUHAMET DIOP: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
JUST ONE LAST COMMENT.
IT'S ABOUT A GENDER ISSUE.
VINT, AS YOU KNOW, THERE WAS -- ONLY AT THE BEGINNING THERE WERE ONLY MEN TRYING TO MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN.
AND WE COULDN'T MAKE IT.
SO WE GOT A LADY COME ON THE BOARD AND TRIED TO KICK THE PROCESS UP.
BUT AFTER SOME TIME, ICANN REALIZED THIS LADY WAS USEFUL FOR THE WHOLE ICANN COMMUNITY AND STEAL IT FROM US.
IT'S ANNE-RACHEL.
AND I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE HER FOR HER EFFORTS ALSO.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>MOUHAMET DIOP: AND NOW SHE'S SERVING ALL THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE REGIONAL OFFICE THAT ICANN HAS IN BELGIUM.
SO I DON'T TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT, BECAUSE WE REALLY NEED HER.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU.
(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: OH, THAT FEELS GOOD. OKAY. BACK TO WORK.

ALL RIGHT.
THE NEXT ITEM IS REALLY JUST AN UPDATE FOR EVERYONE WITH REGARD TO THE OTHER TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN -- NEW STLDS THAT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION.
I WANT TO FORMALLY SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL STLDS UNDER CONSIDERATION; IN PARTICULAR, .ASIA, .MAIL, AND .TEL, AND THERE ARE TWO OF THOSE, AND .XXX.
OF THOSE, WE HAVE HAD FAIRLY EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT .ASIA AND .XXX. WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THOSE. THE OTHERS WILL BE ATTENDED TO AS WE CAN GET TO THEM. BUT I WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT WE WILL ATTEMPT WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS TO COME TO A CONCLUSION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ABOUT .ASIA AND .XXX SO THESE WILL BE ON A BOARD CALL SOMETIME WITHIN THAT PERIOD.
SO FOR THE PARTIES WHO ARE AWAITING THE OUTCOME, I WANT THEM TO HAVE SOME SENSE OF ASSURANCE THAT WE WILL ADDRESS THIS MATTER IN AN EXPEDITIOUS WAY.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA HAS TO DO WITH OUR CORPORATE GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES. THESE WERE THE SUBJECT OF SOME DISCUSSIONS DURING THE PUBLIC FORUM AND OTHER PRESENTATIONS DURING THE COURSE OF THE WEEK, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALEJANDRO PISANTY WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE TO LEAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO NEXT WITH THE DRAFT MATERIAL THAT'S BEEN PRODUCED AND COMMENTED UPON SO FAR.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE WILL BE A FORMAL AND NOT SO FORMAL AND MORE PERSONAL PART OF THIS VERY BRIEF COMMENTS I MAKE.
WE HAVE HEARD WITH GREAT INTEREST -- I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE HEARD WITH GREAT INTEREST THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN THE MEETING HERE IN VOICE AS WELL AS THOSE THAT WE HAVE BEEN READING, AND WE WILL -- I UNDERTAKE PERSONALLY TO COME BACK TO THE BGC TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE PROPER WEIGHT TO ALL THESE COMMENTS. THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO LINES WITH WHICH I WILL BE MAKING PROPOSALS. ONE OF THEM WILL BE RECOGNIZING THAT IT IS VERY HARD, UNREALISTIC AND PROBABLY HAS A LOT OF ILL SIDE EFFECTS TO PUT FORWARD ANYTHING THAT HAS TO BE SIGNED AS A COMMITMENT FOR A CERTAIN TYPE OF CONDUCT. IT WILL BE VERY HARD, OTHER THAN I'LL BEHAVE WELL TO THE BEST OF MY OWN STANDARDS. AND YOU CAN ASSUME FOR A MOMENT THAT PEOPLE ARE ELECTED OR SELECTED TO BELONG TO THE BOARD. SO I THINK IT IS USEFUL FOR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON IN THE COMMUNITY ON THIS NOT TO FOCUS ON THE IDEA THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE SIGNED.
THAT'S THE FIRST IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD, WHICH I THINK WE CAN EASILY THINK ABOUT.
THE SECOND ONE IS THAT WE WILL STRIVE EVEN MORE THAN WE HAVE UP TO NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GUIDELINES WE PROVIDE FOR THE CONDUCT OF BOARD MEMBERS, OF DIRECTORS, FIRST TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE VERY DIFFERENT ORIGINS AND THE SOMETIMES CONFLICTING COMMITMENTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE DEPENDING ON WHETHER THEY HAVE BEEN ELECTED BY SOME ORGANIZATION OR SELECTED BY THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE.
SECOND, OF COURSE, THAT WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN A CONDUCT AND ETHICAL GUIDELINES THAT LEAD TO CONSTRUCTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE ORGANIZATION, THAT PRECLUDES THE TEMPTATION THERE COULD BE OR, LET'S SAY, POSSIBLE SLEIGHT OF ATTENTION TO WORKING TOGETHER, THIS INCLUDES WORKING ON SOME OCCASIONS TOGETHER WITH STAFF, TOGETHER WITH THE CEO AND OTHER MEMBERS OF STAFF, SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE IN THE CONDUCT OF THE BUSINESS OF THE CORPORATION INAPPROPRIATELY.
AND TO LEAD A VERY, VERY AMPLE AND CLEAR, NOT ONLY RUMOR OF DUE DILIGENCE, OF APPLICATION, OF WHATEVER SEEMS TO BE WRONG AND FOR EXHAUSTING THE INTERNAL AVENUES FOR EXPRESSING COMPLAINTS; AND, IF THEY ARE EXHAUSTED PROMPTLY AND CLEARLY, BEING ABLE TO EXERT TO THE EXTREME THE (INAUDIBLE).
THIS IS A FINE BALANCE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GUIDANCE IN THE SENSE THAT IS USEFUL, APPLICABLE, REALISTIC AND DOESN'T TIE PEOPLE'S HANDS IN ANY IMPROPER WAY.
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE WILL STILL BE THE CORE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF ICANN, AND ETHICAL CONDUCT, A WIDELY ACCEPTABLE ETHICAL CONDUCT WHICH MEANS CLARITY ABOUT CONFLICT OF INTERESTS, FRANK AND OPEN DISCLOSURE OF OUR OWN ACTIONS. THESE THINGS I THINK WILL BE THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUT FORWARD IN SOME WEEKS. I THINK THIS WILL TAKE CAREFUL STUDY, SOME CONSULTATIONS WITH COUNCIL, AND PROBABLY LOOKING FOR MUCH MORE ADVICE WITH PEOPLE VERSED IN CORPORATE BEHAVIOR IN DIFFERENT CULTURES.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALEX.
PETER.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I THINK WITH THE COMMENTS THAT ALEX HAS MADE ABOUT THE FURTHER AMENDMENT, I WILL BE ONE OF THOSE WHO WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS KIND OF -- KIND OF APPROACH. I THINK IT'S ONLY APPROPRIATE IN VIEW OF THE RESTRUCTURING AND THE ATTENTION THAT ALL THE OTHER PARTS OF ICANN HAVE RECEIVED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT THE BOARD IS SEEN TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS. AND EXAMINING THE CONDUCT OF DIRECTORS AND THIS PART OF THE PERFORMANCE CAN DO US NO HARM AND, IN THE END, CAN ONLY DO US GOOD.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, PETER. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR ME IS TO SEPARATE THE ROLE OF THE BOARD AS POLICYMAKER SO AS TO GIVE GUIDANCE TO THE STAFF AND THE ROLE THE OF THE BOARD AS INVESTIGATOR IN THE SENSE THAT IT NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE ORGANIZATION.
IN THAT LATTER ROLE, THERE IS A FINE LINE BETWEEN UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON, HAVING ACCESS TO ALL OF THE RECORDS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE CORPORATION, AND FALLING INTO WHAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD CALL MICROMANAGEMENT OF THE OPERATION.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION.
AND I HOPE, ALEX, AS YOUR COMMITTEE WORKS TOWARDS A REVISION OF THE GUIDELINES THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO AT LEAST REMIND BOARD MEMBERS OF THAT DISTINCTION IN THE HOPE THAT WE WILL NOT UNDULY FETTER THE OPERATION OF THE ORGANIZATION WHILE, AT THE SAME TIME, FULFILLING OUR RESPONSIBILITIES OF OVERSIGHT AND POLICY GUIDANCE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS SUBJECT AT THIS POINT?
ALEX.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, IN RESPONDING TO YOUR CALL, YES, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK WE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THIS TWOFOLD APPROACH OR UNDERLINING. AND AS YOU ARE MENTIONING PROCESS AND CLARITY, I WOULD ALSO MENTION THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR TASK AS WELL AS IN ANY OTHER TASK THAT WE UNDERTAKE FROM NOW ON, AS WE HAVE A MUCH MORE STABLE AND RENEWABLE -- STABLY -- A MORE PREDICTABLE DYNAMICS, MORE ROBUST DYNAMICS IN THE ORGANIZATION, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT TEMPTED ALSO INTO GOING FROM -- TAKING A STAB AT ORGANIZATIONAL CLARITY AND PROCEDURAL CLARITY, ALL THE WAY TO GET BOGGED DOWN AGAIN IN AN OVERWEIGHT PROCESS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS THING, AS ALL OTHERS, VERY LIGHTWEIGHT. CLEAR, BUT LIGHTWEIGHT.
>>VINT CERF: MICHAEL, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? NO, OKAY.
IN THAT CASE, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS?
THIS IS NOT THE LAST WORD ON THIS SUBJECT, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE REVISIONS, ALEX, THAT THE BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE PRODUCES.

NOW I'M MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL NEED TO CHECK OUT TODAY, BUT I'M GOING TO PROPOSE THAT WE NOT -- NOT TAKE A BREAK. WE SEEM TO BE MOVING ALONG FAIRLY WELL.
I WANT TO NOW GO INTO SOME OTHER BUSINESS THAT I THINK IT'S WELL TO TOUCH UPON BEFORE WE FINISH THIS MEETING.
THERE HAS BEEN A GOOD DEAL OF DISCUSSION DURING THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK ABOUT THE DOT NET TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN AND THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN, BOTH ORAL AND WRITTEN, ABOUT THE EVALUATIONS AND THE METRICS THAT WERE APPLIED THAT LED THE BOARD TO CONCLUDE THAT THE .NET NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN.
I WANT TO ASSURE EVERYONE, FOR THE RECORD, THAT ANY WRITTEN -- I UNDERSCORE ANY WRITTEN, SPECIFIC EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN ABOUT THIS PROCESS WILL BE EXAMINED. THEY WILL BE, IF NECESSARY, TAKEN BACK TO THE EVALUATOR, TELCORDIA, OR TO OTHER APPROPRIATE PARTIES, AND THEY WILL BE PUBLISHED AND THE RESPONSES WILL BE PUBLISHED AS WELL IN THE APPROPRIATE PARTS OF THE ICANN WEB PAGES.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE PRACTICES THAT WE ADOPTED FOR THE PROCESSING OF THIS .NET TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN.
THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH VERISIGN, WHICH HAD BEEN JUDGED THE MOST APPROPRIATE PARTY, WILL CONTINUE, BUT I REMIND EVERYONE THAT SUBJECT TO THE RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION OF THE CONCERNS, ANY CONCERNS EXPRESSED, AND, IN ANY CASE, AT THE END OF THE NEGOTIATION, THE BOARD HAS AN OBLIGATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVENE IF IT CONCLUDES EITHER THAT THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT IS, FOR SOME REASON, UNSATISFACTORY OR IF IT CONCLUDES THAT ANOTHER PARTY IS MORE APPROPRIATE.
SO WE HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERVENTION WITH REGARD TO .NET, BUT WE SHOULD DO SO ONLY IF IT'S MERITED.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY ABOUT .NET.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE ON NOW TO ANOTHER SUBJECT WHICH HAS ALSO BEEN OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AND CONSUMED A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME THIS WEEK, AND THAT'S THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AND I'D LIKE TO CALL ON PETER TO INTRODUCE A DISCUSSION ON THIS SUBJECT SO THAT WE CAN GET FURTHER CLARITY AS TO WHAT WE WILL DO NEXT.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I THINK I SHOULD BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING AND RECORDING APPRECIATION FIRST OF ALL FOR THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF STAFF WORK THAT WENT INTO COMMENCING THIS PROCESS.
AND THEN TO GO ON TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECORD APPRECIATION FOR THE COMMENSURATE IF NOT GREATER RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY ITSELF IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT'S GONE ON FROM THE CONSTITUENCIES AND THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS IN RESPONDING TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN. THERE'S BEEN SUBMISSIONS FROM EVERYWHERE, MEETINGS, AND IT'S BEEN TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY BY THE COMMUNITY AND WE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME HERE AT MAR DEL PLATA REVIEWING IT.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BY PEOPLE ABOUT DETAIL OF THE PLAN, AND WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TODAY AND ALL TIMES WHEN DISCUSSING STRATEGIC ISSUES NOT TO DESCEND TO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND PROCEDURAL.
THE OTHER CAUTION IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL, AS ALEJANDRO REMINDS US, QUOTING AMONGST OTHERS THE WORDS OF STUART LYNN, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO DESCEND INTO CONSTANTLY DISCUSSING THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE WILL FORM THE PROCESS TO CREATE THE PROCESS, TO HAVE A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A PROCESS.
I MAY HAVE PUT TOO MANY "PROCESSES" IN THERE, BUT --
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: WE'VE BEEN THAT WAY SOMETIMES.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: SO MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS. WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A RESOLUTION TO PUT FORWARD. WE'VE HAD SOME DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT TAKE THE DRAFT PLAN AND THEN THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS WE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE AREAS THAT THE COMMUNITY EXPRESSED PARTICULAR CONCERN ABOUT, NOT SO MUCH WHETHER WE DO SOME OF THESE THINGS, OFTEN, BUT HOW WE DO THEM AND WHEN WE DO THEM. AND THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE AREAS THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE GENERAL COMMUNITY AGREEMENT ON. AND AT THE VERY LEAST, PUT THOSE INTO A PLAN AND GET STARTED ON THOSE.
AND PERHAPS SEE IF WE CAN'T GET SOME HIGH-LEVEL STATEMENTS ON INTENT ON ISSUES SUCH AS REGIONAL PRESENCE, WHICH EVERYONE SEEMED TO AGREE WE HAVE TO WORK ON THE DETAIL OF WHETHER WE DO IT BY WAY OF REGIONAL OFFICES OR OTHER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SPEND ON MORE TIME ON AT THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGE.
SO CAN I COME BACK TO YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, AS TO HOW YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT? WE'VE GOT, AS I SAY, A NUMBER OF PROPOSALS ABOUT DECIDING THE PROPOSAL INTO PARTS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT, BUT PERHAPS THE STAFF COULD, PERHAPS COUNSEL COULD HELP EXPLAIN THAT.
>>VINT CERF: LET ME -- THANK YOU. THE BALL IS IN MY COURT. LET ME SUGGEST SEVERAL THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, I FOUND MANY VOICES SAYING THEY WANTED TO HAVE EARLIER INVOLVEMENT IN THE FORMULATION OF STRATEGIC PLANS. AND WHILE WE COULD ARGUE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER OVER THAT, I THINK INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
WE ARE, OF COURSE, IN A TIME FRAME NOW WHERE MODIFICATION OF THE EXISTING DOCUMENT BECOMES LESS AND LESS USEFUL AS IT BECOMES MORE A DOCUMENT LOOKING BACKWARDS IN TIME RATHER THAN FORWARDS IN TIME. STRATEGIC PLANS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FORWARD LOOKING.
SO I WOULD FIRST OBSERVE THAT MODIFICATIONS TO THAT OBJECT WHICH WE CALL THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS, IT WAS MODIFIED DURING THE COURSE OF THE WEEK AND PUBLISHED, PROBABLY MORE MODIFICATION OF THAT MAY TURN OUT TO BE LESS VALUABLE THAN FOCUSING ON WHAT THE OPERATIONAL PLAN IS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND THE ASSOCIATED BUDGET.
I WOULD, HOWEVER, SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT WHAT STRATEGIC PLAN 2 LOOKS LIKE, BY WHICH I SIMPLY MEAN THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE SUBSEQUENT THREE FISCAL YEARS AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT AWAY LISTEN TO AND INVITE INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY WITH REGARD TO THEIR HIGH PRIORITIES. WHAT IS IT THAT THEY FEEL ICANN SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON DURING THIS UPCOMING THREE-YEAR PERIOD.
I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL TO FIND WAYS OF SUMMARIZING WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE AS A BOARD IN SOME SIMPLE FORM. BULLETIZED FORM, MAYBE PRIORITY ORDERED, MAYBE SHORT TWO OR THREE PAGE DESCRIPTIONS OF -- MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE.
THE REASON I SUGGEST THESE, AND THEY'RE NOT MY IDEAS, OTHERS HAVE RECOMMENDED THEM, IS THAT WE COULD EVEN TRANSLATE THOSE SHORTER OBJECTS, SHORTER DOCUMENTS INTO LANGUAGES SO THAT THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS NOT COMFORTABLE READING A 30-PAGE OR A 70-PAGE DOCUMENT, COULD GET A BETTER SENSE FOR WHERE WE ARE COLLECTIVELY HEADING AND TO THEN PROVIDE THEIR COMMENTS BACK.
THERE ARE A LONG LIST OF TECHNICAL CONCERNS THAT I HAVE ABOUT WHERE WE NOW STAND WITH REGARD TO ICANN'S PART OF THE INTERNET. I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE DEAL WITH IDNS. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE APPEARANCE OF IDNS IN TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS. I'M CONCERNED THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN AGREED GTLD INTRODUCTION PROCESS. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT INTRODUCING IPV6 AND ALL OF THE ATTENDANT SOFTWARE THAT NEEDS TO WORK, INCLUDING NETWORK MANAGEMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRODUCING NETWORK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, BUT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING SURE THAT IPV6 WORKS IN THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM.
WE NEED TO INTRODUCE IPV6 ROOT ADDRESSES IN ADDITION TO HAVING IPV6 IN THE REVIEWED ZONE FILE. WE NEED THE ASSISTANCE AND SOMETIMES THE GUIDANCE OF OUR TECHNICAL COMMUNITY, THE IETF AND THE IAB, THE ROOT SERVER COMMUNITY TO ASSURE THAT WE TAKE THESE STEPS IN AN APPROPRIATE FASHION.
APART FROM ALL THE TECHNOLOGY, I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE OTHER STRATEGIC MATTERS OF CONCERN. WE ARE STILL IN THE WSIS PROCESS, AND WE SHOULD BE ATTENDING TO THAT. WE STILL HAVE A CONSIDERABLE WAY TO GO TO EXPLAIN ICANN AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
I COULD BORE YOU BY GOING ON AND ON.
THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT, IN FAIRLY TERSE FORM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO STATE WHAT OUR PRIORITIES AND INTERESTS ARE AND IN WHAT AREAS THEY LIE, AND IF IT'S GOING TO BE A PLAN, WE NEED TO SAY AT LEAST AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL HOW WE PLAN, HOW WE INTEND TO APPROACH THOSE HIGH PRIORITY ITEMS.
I THINK THAT I WILL ACCEPT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT HELPING TO PRODUCE STRATEGY OUT OF THIS BOARD AND FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND I PERSONALLY WILL COMMIT MYSELF TO CONTRIBUTING, I HOPE, TO A BETTER PRODUCT.
IN THE MEANTIME, I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE -- I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE IDEA OF BREAKING UP THIS PROCESS INTO SEVERAL PIECES WHERE WE TAKE A CERTAIN PART OF THE YEAR TO WORK ON STRATEGY AND ANOTHER PART OF THE YEAR TO WORK ON OPERATIONAL PLANNING AND BUDGET PROCESS SOUNDS LIKE A VERY GOOD IDEA AND THAT IT WOULD ALLOW US TO BE MORE FOCUSED IN OUR WORK.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ENDORSE THAT PARTICULAR TACTIC AS A WAY OF GETTING THE JOB DONE.
SO I'M SORRY TO JUST GO ON AND ON, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OTHER COMMENTS, IF THERE ARE ANY.
MIKE.
>>MICHAEL PALAGE: MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO THANK STAFF FOR ARRANGING THE THREE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE THIS WEEK THAT WERE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL AS THE BOARD THAT ATTENDED -- THESE EVENTS WERE ALL WELL ATTENDED BY BOTH STAFF AND THE BOARD. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, A THANKS TO THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE SHOWN A VERY KEEN INTEREST IN A PARTNERSHIP WORKING WITH ICANN TO DETERMINE THE DIRECTION OF THIS ORGANIZATION MOVING FORWARD.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE UNIQUE ASPECTS THAT MAKES ICANN WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.
SO AGAIN, THERE'S MUCH WORK I THINK THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE GOING FORWARD, AND LOOK FORWARD TO BOTH THE BOARD, STAFF, AND STAKEHOLDER COMMUNITY WORKING ON THAT EFFORT TO GET IT RIGHT.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, MICHAEL.
ALEX.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: IT WAS A PLEASURE --
>>VINT CERF: I'M SORRY.
IT WAS ACTUALLY ALEX NEXT, AND THEN PETER, AND THEN ROBERTO -- ALEX YIELDS HIS TIME TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW ZEALAND.
I'M SORRY, HE WOULD EXCHANGE TIME WITH THE GENTLEMAN FROM NEW ZEALAND.
PETER.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY WHAT A PLEASURE IT WAS TO HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT CONTENT.
BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT NEXT STEP.
AND THANK YOU FOR NOT DWELLING ON PROCESS.
I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE ALSO NEED TO FOCUS ON, AND ONE OF THEM IS PRIORITIES.
ONCE WE HAVE THAT CONTENT CLEAR, WE NEED THE PRIORITIES, BECAUSE STRATEGIC PLANNING IS A LOT ABOUT BRINGING RESOURCES TO BEAR ON THE EDGE OF THINGS AND THEN BEING READY FOR WHAT ELSE COMES.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO THINK MORE ABOUT, I THINK, IN TERMS OF THE CONTENT OF THE PLAN IS SOME KIND OF A CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS, WHICH IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A THREAT ANALYSIS.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHETHER WE REALLY WANT TO USE THAT.
IT'S REALLY MORE THE CONTEXT OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT ICANN FINDS ITSELF IN, WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT, TO GIVE THE PLAN EVEN MORE UTILITY.
AND I JUST -- FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WEREN'T THERE, THERE WAS A VERY GOOD DEMONSTRATION OF HOW THAT CAN WORK FROM THE NOMINET PRESENTATION TO THE CCNSO, HAVING GONE THROUGH THEIR PLANNING PROCESS, THEY ARE NOW ABLE TO HAVE A NOMINET ON A PAGE, AND THEIR ENTIRE PLAN IS ENCAPSULATED AND VISIBLE.
SO IT HAS A VERY UNIFYING EFFECT ONCE WE HAVE ALL AGREED ON THAT.
AND I JUST RECALL THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD ON THE BOARD RECENTLY WITH SOME VOLUNTEERS FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE BOARD WILLING TO HELP TO COORDINATE THESE ISSUES OF CONTENT AND ARRANGEMENT AND PRIORITIZING.
AND I'M ONE OF THOSE.
AND ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP, I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS.
>>VINT CERF: ALEX AND THEN ROBERTO.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO PUT MYSELF IN THE QUEUE.
ALEX.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, AGAIN, IN ADDING TO THIS, I THINK THAT LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF ICANN THROUGH THE EYES OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THROUGH THE EYES OF STAFF AND THE EYES OF THE BOARD HAS ALREADY BEEN A VERY VALUABLE EXERCISE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO TRANSLATE NOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE AS AN ORGANIZATION, THE PRIORITIES OUR COMMUNITY HAS, AND THIS HAS TO INCLUDE THE FORESIGHT AND THE BALANCE AMONG OUR DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES IN THE BROADEST SENSE.
WE HAVE TO TRANSLATE THIS INTO EVERYTHING WE DO.
THAT MEANS ALSO THE FORMAT OF OUR MEETINGS.
HAVING A VENUE LIKE MAR DEL PLATA, WHERE PEOPLE ARE SO HAPPY TO BE HERE HAS GIVEN US A PARTICULAR CHANCE TO EXPLORE SEVERAL VARIATIONS ON THE FORMAT AND CONTENT OF THE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE DEVOTED MORE HOURS TO THE -- TO OPEN PUBLIC GENERAL DISCUSSIONS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAN WE WERE ABLE TO DEVOTE TO THE FORUM, PUBLIC FORUM.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXTRACT NOW LESSONS FROM THIS TO INCLUDE TIME MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETINGS THEMSELVES.
AND THIS WILL BE, I THINK, FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR COMMUNITY IF WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS PROBABLY THROUGH A PROPOSAL FROM STAFF THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THERE ARE DIFFERENT ISSUES, AND THAT CAN BE VETTED MAYBE BY THE MEETINGS COMMITTEE.
WE WILL HAVE TO DO THIS, BECAUSE THIS WILL BE -- IT DOESN'T SEEM SO, BUT ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE THINGS WE DO FOR THE COMMUNITY IS PHYSICAL FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS.
HERE, WE BRING TOGETHER THE TIME AND EFFORT AND WILL OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE FEW HOURS WE ARE TOGETHER, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PERSON HOURS.
AND THIS WILL BE A STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT.
THIS WILL BE PART OF A STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT AS MUCH AS ANYTHING ELSE ON THE STRAT PLAN.
AND I WOULD FINALLY MENTION THAT THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN EVOLVING, HAS BEEN SINKING INTO ICANN.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO PARTICULARLY RECOGNIZE PAUL TWOMEY, THOUGH HE'S ABSENT PHYSICALLY FROM THIS MEETING, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN PUSHING VERY HARD FOR THIS STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT KIND OF THING BETWEEN -- IN EVERY LEVEL, FROM WHAT THE TASKS ARE TO WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WHO FULFILL THEM, WHAT'S THE WAY THEY ARE DONE.
AND WE REALLY HAVE NOW TO BRING THEM DOWN ONLY TO THE DETAIL OF THE MEETINGS, TOO.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, ALEX.
LET'S SEE.
I'LL RECOGNIZE ROBERTO AND THEN THOMAS NILES.
>>ROBERTO GAETANO: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I EXCUSE FOR MY VOICE THAT STILL SUFFERS FROM THE SOCCER TOURNAMENT.
BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SAY.
PROBABLY I'M NOT GOING TO INTRODUCE SOME NEW ELEMENTS.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE -- THAT I AM DISCUSSING IN MY POINT THAT I HAVE MADE DURING THIS LONG DEBATE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE DISCUSSION ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN HAVE BEEN ALREADY INCORPORATED IN THE SUMMARY THAT WAS DONE BY PETER.
HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I THINK THAT THE PROCESS HAS BEEN VERY LONG RIGHT NOW.
AND I START FEELING IN MY COMMUNICATION WITH THE BROADER INTERNET COMMUNITY HERE IN MAR DEL PLATA SOME FEELING -- SOME UNEASY FEELING BY THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE SEEM TO GO AROUND IN CIRCLES AND THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH PROGRESS.
NOW, I THINK THAT THIS IS NOT TRUE.
I THINK THAT THE VERSION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NOW IS SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER THAN THE ONE THAT WE STARTED WITH AND HAS INCORPORATED A LOT OF INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, THERE'S ONE THING, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I WAS ONE OF THE SUPPORTERS OF THE SHORTENED FORM OF STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLE.
IN A LOT OF LANGUAGES, THERE IS A SAYING THAT IS MORE OR LESS SIMILAR TO "THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS."
SO THE MORE DETAIL WE HAVE, THE MORE ROOM FOR DEVIL.
AND SO THIS IS WHY I THINK THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME IT IS OF THE PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE THAT WE MAKE A BULLET LIST OF ALL THE STRATEGIC POINTS ON WHICH THERE IS CONSENSUS IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE KEEP THEM SEPARATED FROM THE OPERATIONAL ASPECTS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE REALIZATION OF THOSE POINTS.
I THINK THAT BESIDES THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A SUMMARY DOCUMENT THAT IS SHORT AND THAT CAN BE READ BY EVERYBODY, CAN BE EASILY TRANSLATED, AND SO ON, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY SAID, I THINK THAT THAT WILL HELP THE INTERNET COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE ITSELF IN THIS VERY SHORT DOCUMENT ON PRINCIPLES ON WHICH WE ALL AGREED, ON STRATEGIC CHOICES WE ALL AGREE, AND THE FACT THAT WE DON'T DIVIDE BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS, DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION ON TRANSLATION, ON REGIONAL OFFICES, ON WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE SERVER OPERATION IN IANA OR NOT OR THESE KIND OF THINGS.
I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT WE CAN PUT A MILESTONE AND SAY, "OKAY, THESE ARE THE BASIC THINGS THAT WE AGREE ON," WILL HELP IN GIVING A SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT ALSO TO THE INTERNET COMMUNITY THAT CAN SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE THIS BASIC SET, AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
THAT WILL HELP IN KEEPING THE MOTIVATION OF -- FOR PROVIDING INPUT TO THE NEXT PHASES.
THANK YOU.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
BEFORE I RECOGNIZE THOMAS NILES, I PUT MYSELF IN THE QUEUE.
PETER, YOU MENTIONED AN INTERESTING TERM, THE THREAT ANALYSIS.
AND ALTHOUGH YOU THOUGHT IT MIGHT NOT BE AN APPROPRIATE TERM, PERHAPS IT IS, IN THE VERY LITERAL SENSE.
STEVE CROCKER, WHO'S OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE STABILITY AND SECURITY -- OR SECURITY AND STABILITY COMMITTEE, IS, IN FACT, VERY AWARE THAT THERE ARE PARTS OF THE INTERNET THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ARE IN FACT SUBJECT TO THREAT, VERY SPECIFIC TECHNICAL THREATS.
AND EFFORTS NEED TO BE UNDERTAKEN TO MITIGATE THAT THREAT, SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO DNSSEC AS A MECHANISM FOR IMPROVING THE ACCURACY AND THE AUTHENTICITY OF INFORMATION ABOUT DOMAIN NAME TRANSLATIONS.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT WOULD BE QUITE A REASONABLE THING, IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
SECOND, I WOULD OBSERVE THAT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND WHAT THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTION PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT SOME PORTIONS OF THAT WHICH IS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT, BUT NOT ALL OF IT AT THE SAME TIME.
SO IF I HAVE A LIST OF TEN PRIORITIES FROM THE STRATEGIC POINT OF VIEW, I WANT TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T PUT THEM IN SOME PRIORITY ORDER AND THEN DO NONE OF THE STEPS THAT THE LOWER-PRIORITY ITEM COULD BENEFIT FROM.
INSTEAD, THE OPERATIONAL PLAN SHOULD ALLOW US THE FLEXIBILITY TO TAKE SOME STEPS OPERATIONALLY, EVEN IF THE STRATEGIC PRIORITY IS NOT AS HIGH.
OTHERWISE, WE MAY END UP WITH IMPORTANT THINGS NEVER GETTING DONE.
SO WE HAVE SOME VERY REFINED FLEXIBILITY AS WE GO FROM THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES TO THE OPERATIONAL ONES.
AND, FINALLY, I WOULD -- APROPOS OF ROBERTO'S COMMENT ON THE SOCCER FIELD, I THINK WE'VE INTRODUCED AN IMPORTANT INNOVATION IN THIS MEETING.
I THANK OUR LATIN AMERICAN FRIENDS OF INTRODUCING IT.
WE NOW APPARENTLY HAVE A NEW WAY OF SETTLING OUR DISAGREEMENTS: WE JUST GET OUT ON THE SOCCER FIELD AND KICK THE LIVING HECK OUT OF EVERYBODY.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS IN LUXEMBOURG, BUT I'M SURE SOMEONE WILL COME UP WITH AN IDEA.
TOM NILES.
>>THOMAS NILES: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
ROBERTO ESSENTIALLY MADE THE POINT I WAS GOING TO MAKE ABOUT WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD AHEAD WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I WAS STRUCK BY PETER'S COMMENT, TOO, ABOUT NOMINET GETTING ITS OBJECTIVES DOWN ON ONE PAGE.
IF NOMINET CAN DO IT ON ONE PAGE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT ON TWO OR THREE.
AND LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AND THE DETAILS, AS YOU SUGGESTED, I BELIEVE, WOULD BEST BE HANDLED IN WHAT WOULD BE A MORE OPERATIONAL PERHAPS ANNUAL DOCUMENT, HOW WE ACTUALLY MOVE FROM GENERAL GOALS TO ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION.
AND, FINALLY, I'D MAKE THE POINT THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IF EVERYTHING WE DO IS IMPORTANT, NOTHING IS IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU.
>>VINT CERF: THAT'S A VERY PITHY OBSERVATION, TOM.
THANK YOU.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN AT THIS POINT?
VENI.
>>VENI MARKOVSKI: YEAH, MY PROPOSAL IS THAT AFTER WE REDUCE THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO A -- SOMETHING WHICH IS LIKE MORE FOCUSED, MORE CONCENTRATED AND LIKE A FINAL DRAFT VERSION, WE TRANSLATE IT IN AT LEAST FIVE, SIX LANGUAGES AND GIVE IT TO THE PUBLIC FOR MORE CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND THEN WE HAVE EVEN ON THE BOARD ENOUGH PEOPLE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF CHINESE, JAPANESE, GERMAN, FRENCH, RUSSIAN, EVEN, TWO GUYS WITH RUSSIAN, AND WE CAN USE THIS TO KIND OF GET BACK TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM COUNTRIES WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT SO POPULAR.
MY POINT IS, I SAW THE PARTICIPATION THE OTHER DAY AT THE WSIS WORKSHOP WHERE THE SPANISH TRANSLATORS WERE DOING AN INCREDIBLY GOOD AMOUNT OF WORK.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO OUTREACH AND GO TO THESE PEOPLE, TOO.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, VENI.
ANY OTHER -- YES, JOI.
>>JOICHI ITO: JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON VENI'S POINT.
THERE WASN'T -- IT WASN'T HERE, BUT DURING THE SESSIONS, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR SS FEEDS, ABOUT TRANSLATION, AND ABOUT A VARIETY OF WAYS TO DO OUTREACH.
AND I AM WORKING CURRENTLY WITH STAFF.
MY EXPERTISE IS SORT OF BLOGGING AND THESE THINGS.
THE OTHER THING IS, I HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO MAKE AN ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA CALLED WIKIPEDIA.
AND THEY HAVE ABOUT 200 LANGUAGES.
AND I HAVE A VERY GOOD NETWORK OF TRANSLATORS AS WELL.
SO ONE OF THE, I THINK, KEY THINGS IN THE OUTREACH IN THE PRESENCE THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A LOT OF PHYSICAL COST IS TO REVAMP THE WEB SITE AND WORK ON THE MULTILINGUAL ASPECT OF THAT.
AND, HOPEFULLY, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE SOMETHING SOON ABOUT OUR PROGRESS.
>>VINT CERF: THAT'S TERRIFIC.
THANK YOU.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE NOW FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN TOPIC, WHICH WILL CLEARLY BE WITH US FOR EVERY YEAR TO COME -- IS THIS A STRATEGIC PLAN ITEM?
>>MICHAEL PALAGE: NO.
IT'S OTHER BUSINESS.
>>VINT CERF: YES.
SO IF YOU CAN HANG ON FOR JUST ONE SECOND.
I HAVE ANOTHER TOPIC THAT I WANT TO SPEND A MOMENT ON.
AND THAT'S INTERNATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAMES.
THIS IS A SUBJECT WHICH HAS COME UP FREQUENTLY.
IT'S A SUBJECT OF ENORMOUS DEBATE AND INTEREST.
BUT IN INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS, I CAME TO A CONCLUSION, OR AT LEAST A REALIZATION, THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT I HADN'T ANTICIPATED.
SO I -- IN FACT, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT PROFESSOR QIAN MENTIONED ABOUT THE EXPERIMENTATION AND EXPLORATION OF IDNS, PARTICULARLY INCLUDING TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN IDNS, THAT TRIGGERED THIS THOUGHT.
SO, PROFESSOR QIAN, PERHAPS YOU COULD BRIEFLY SAY WHAT KIND OF EXPERIMENTATION YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONDUCT IN CHINA USING ALL CHINESE CHARACTER DOMAIN NAMES, AND THEN I WANT TO COME BACK TO THE OBSERVATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY OUT ON THE BOARD.
SO, PROFESSOR QIAN.

>>HUALIN QIAN: OKAY.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, FOR PUTTING THIS IDN ISSUE ON THE TABLE AGAIN.
THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, I SAID IN THE PUBLIC FORUM THAT -- ABOUT THE IDN -- SOME PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME; SOME PEOPLE ARE FEELING UNHAPPY.
I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
BECAUSE THE IDN NOW IS VERY URGENT REQUIREMENT IN SOME COUNTRIES, ESPECIALLY IN CJK COUNTRIES, LIKE KOREA, JAPAN, CHINA, AND EVEN TAIWAN, AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, LIKE INDIA, SRI LANKA, THEY ALSO EXPRESSED THEIR INTERESTS IN IDN SYSTEMS.
IN CHINA, MORE THAN 98% OF WEB PAGES CREATED BY CHINESE PEOPLE ARE WRITTEN IN CHINESE.
AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, MY COLLEAGUE IN JAPAN TOLD ME ALSO.
JAPAN MAY BE 99% OF WEB PAGES CREATED BY PEOPLE ARE IN JAPANESE.
SO THAT'S -- AND ALSO, THOSE DOMAIN NAMES FOR THOSE COMPANY NAMES, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO BE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH OR IN ROMANIZED SPELLING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED A CHINA DOMAIN NAME; IN JAPAN, THEY NEED A JAPANESE DOMAIN NAME.
SO THIS IS VERY URGENT REQUIREMENT IN THIS ASIA-PACIFIC AREA, AS I KNOW.
NOW, TALKING ABOUT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE IDN SYSTEM, I SEPARATE IT INTO TWO, THREE LEVELS, ACCORDING TO HOW DIFFICULT TECHNICALLY.
THE SIMPLEST ONE IS, AS I SAID, TO DO THE CCTLD NAME, IDN CCTLD NAME, BECAUSE THIS NAME IS UNIQUE TO EACH COUNTRY.
IT'S UNIQUE TO EACH LANGUAGE, SO IT'S MUCH EASIER TO IMPLEMENT AND TO DEPLOY.
THE SECOND HARDEST DIFFICULT IS FOR THE GTLD NAMES, LIKE (CHINESE NAMES) DOT NET, DOT COM.
THOSE CHARACTERS ARE USED BY MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, MAYBE THE SAME CHARACTER.
THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT MEANINGS, BUT MAYBE WILL FORM SOME AMBIGUITY.
SO THAT'S MORE DIFFICULT THAN THE CCTLD NAMES.
THE MOST DIFFICULT THING IS FOR THE GTLD REGISTRY, THOSE COMPANIES, THEY MADE QUITE A LOT OF EFFORTS, FOR EXAMPLE, VERISIGN, THEY MADE A VERY EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT.
BUT IT'S NOT VERY SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED.
SO I THINK WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PUT MANY, MANY LANGUAGES TOGETHER IN THE SYSTEM.
THEY HAVE TO SERVE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S MOST DIFFICULT.
I DON'T MEAN I OPPOSE TO DEPLOY FOR THOSE GTLD REGISTRIES, DEPLOY IDN GOING TO THIS BUSINESS.
I'M NOT MEANING THAT.
BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TECHNICALLY.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO TAKE STEP BY STEP SIMPLEST STEP FIRST, THEN GO INTO COMPLICATED THINGS.
NOW, IN CHINESE, WE IMPLEMENTED -- ALSO IN JAPAN, IN KOREA, AND IN TAIWAN -- WE HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED IDN FIRST SYSTEM AND PROVIDING SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE USING THE PLUG-IN, PEOPLE CAN DOWNLOAD THE PLUG-IN PROVIDED BY KRNIC. AND THIS PLUG-IN WORK FOR TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THE SAME PLUG-IN WORKS FOR TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE IS FOR KEY WORD SYSTEM IN CHINESE, YOU TYPE KEY WORD AND THEN IT WORKS.
THE OTHER IS FOR IDN.
YOU TYPE CHINESE DOMAIN NAME DOT CN.
IT WORKS.
PEOPLE LIKE TO USE IT.
MANY RESOLUTIONS EVERY DAY.
SO THAT'S THE SITUATION IN OUR COUNTRY.
FOR THE NEXT STEP, I THINK ICANN CAN DO SOMETHING MORE.
I REALIZE THAT ICANN HAS DONE QUITE A LOT OF THINGS.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY DISCUSSIONS AND MEETINGS ON THAT, AND PROVIDED SEMINARS AND HAD EXPERTS, JOHN KLENSIN MADE MANY SEMINARS IN ICANN MEETINGS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HIM HAVING MORE SEMINARS IN LUXEMBOURG MEETING.
BUT WE CAN TAKE MORE STEPS.
FIRST STEP, I SUGGEST THAT WE CAN REGISTER -- CHOOSE ONE OR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR CCTLD IDN DOMAIN NAMES REGISTERED UNDER THE ROOT SERVER.
THAT'S THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THOSE.
IDN IS VERY SIMPLE.
I SUGGEST THREE OF THEM.
ONE IS ACCORDING TO THE REQUIREMENTS, HOW URGENTLY YOU NEED THIS IDN IN THE COUNTRY.
SECOND IS HOW MATURE OF THE SYSTEM.
SOME SYSTEMS ARE RELATIVELY MORE MATURE THAN OTHERS.
WE CAN USE CRITERIA TO SELECT THEM.
THIRD IS HOW STRONG THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT WE CAN HAVE IN THAT COUNTRY SO THAT WE CAN CHOOSE A FEW OF THEM TO REGISTER UNDER THE ROOT ZONE FILE.
THEN WE CAN DO SOME EXPERIMENT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED.
IS THERE ANY BAD IMPACT ON THE EXISTING SYSTEM; IS THERE ANY INSTABILITY.
I SUGGEST THE NEXT STEP ICANN MAY TAKE.
AND THIS -- TAKING THIS STEP MAY PUT SOME WEIGHT ON THE BALANCE IN THE COOPERATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS ITUT, SUCH AS ITUT.
I WANT ALSO TO EXPLAIN SOME FEARS, SOME WORRIES ABOUT THIS DEPLOYMENT, BECAUSE PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT INCONSISTENT IN THE ROOT SERVER, IN THE (INAUDIBLE) MAY CAUSE SOME TROUBLE, MAY CAUSE INSTABILITY.
BUT MY KNOWLEDGE, I DON'T THINK SO. BECAUSE OUR SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED IS ONLY IN THE INTERFACE, NOT IN THE PROTOCOL LEVEL. NOT IN THE SERVER LEVEL, ROOT SERVER LEVEL.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE TYPED IN CHINESE CHARACTER, IT'S INTERNALLY IN GP CODING, THAT'S THE CHINESE STANDARD CODING, THEN THE MICROSOFT SYSTEM WILL CONVERT IT TO UNICODING.
THEN CONVERT IT TO -- BY OUR PLUG-IN, CONVERT IT TO PUNYCODE.
PUNYCODE IS PURELY ASCII CODING. THEN SENT OUT TO ANY SYSTEM.
SO ON THE WAY OUT -- WHEN THE MESSAGE LEAVE MY MACHINE, IT'S ALREADY ASCII. SO NO TROUBLE WILL BE CAUSED TO THE EXISTING SYSTEMS.
WHEN WE REGISTER OUR NAMES IN THE ROOT, ALSO IN PUNYCODE.
MAYBE XN DASH DASH PLUS 7 ARE THE CHARACTERS. THAT'S NOT VERY LONG; JUST LIKE .TRAVEL, .MUSEUM. THE SAME.
SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY TROUBLE CAUSED TO THE ROOT SERVER.
SO MANY PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT THE INOPERABILITY OR INTEROPERABILITY. MAYBE THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE, BECAUSE AS I SAID, IT'S JUST IN THE INTERFACE CONVERTED INTO ASCII CODE, SO NO PROTOCOL INTERPRET ISSUE.
BUT ONLY IN THE APPLICATION LAYER, PEOPLE USING IT, PEOPLE CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT. FOR EXAMPLE, JAPANESE, CHINESE. THEN PEOPLE TO PEOPLE COMMUNICATION WILL HAVE SOME TROUBLE.
BUT THIS THING ALREADY HAPPENS IN ENGLISH VERSION. MANY JAPANESE, MANY CHINESE, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH. THEY ALSO CANNOT TALK IN THE APPLICATION LAYER WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE STATES, IN UK OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY.
THIS ALREADY HAPPENS.
SO THIS IS NOT A SPECIAL ISSUE CAUSED BY THE IDN DEPLOYMENT.
SO THAT'S HOW I SUGGEST, THE FIRST STEP WE SHOULD DO THAT. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PROFESSOR QIAN. WHILE I DON'T SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO GET EXTREMELY DEEP INTO IDN, THE OBSERVATION I WANT TO MAKE, AND I DO RECOGNIZE JOHN OVER THERE -- ALEX, WERE YOU WAVING AT ME, TOO? ALEX HAS BECOME THE ALTERNATIVE REPRESENTATIVE TO AMADEU WHO USED TO BE ALWAYS READY TO MAKE A REMARK.
THE OBSERVATION I WANT TO MAKE IS IF WE CAN DO SOMETHING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IDN EXPERIENCE THAT DOES NOT PROHIBIT OR PREVENT US FROM ACHIEVING INTEROPERABILITY AT SOME LEVEL, THEN I CAN IMAGINE MOVING FORWARD MORE COMFORTABLY THAN I HAD THOUGHT BEFORE.
THE THING I DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS THAT WE TAKE STEPS TO INTRODUCE IDNS, PARTICULARLY TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN IDNS, AND DISCOVER THAT WE HAVE FORECLOSED SOME VERY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERWORKING. AND IT'S WORKING THROUGH THAT ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE NOT FORECLOSED THE FUTURE THAT IS IMPORTANT. BUT IF IT'S POSSIBLE, THEN WE MIGHT MAKE BETTER PROGRESS SOONER.
JOHN, AND THEN ALEX.
>>JOHN KLENSIN: I JUST WANTED TO OBSERVE THAT PROFESSOR QIAN SAID SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT THAT I WANT TO MENTION IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AND BROADER CONTEXT.
THIS ENTIRE IDN AREA AND THE CURRENT STANDARDS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY WE NORMALLY DO PROTOCOLS ON THE INTERNET. WE NORMALLY DO THINGS IN TERMS OF WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO MACHINES.
IDNS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION VERY MUCH HAS TO DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS ON ONE MACHINE. IT'S AN APPLICATION-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION. THAT DOESN'T, AS THE DNS DOES, WORK IN TERMS OF QUERY FROM ONE MACHINE AND RESPONSE FROM ANOTHER OR SOMETHING ELSE OF THAT NATURE.
THAT PRESENTS SOME WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE BY EXTENDING THE MODEL OF THIS WORK GETTING DONE ON INDIVIDUAL MACHINES, WE CAN, IN PRINCIPLE, SOLVE OF THE REST OF THE PROBLEM, WHERE THE REST OF THAT PROBLEM IS EVEN IF YOU COULD HAVE A DOMAIN NAME ENTIRELY IN NONASCII CHARACTERS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT, THERE MAY ALSO BE WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE HTTP COLON AND THE @ SIGN, AND ARE ALSO USED IN THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE USE DOMAIN NAMES. TO PUT IT DIFFERENTLY, USERS GENERALLY DON'T USE DOMAIN NAMES, THEY USE URLS AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE SYNTAX AROUND THEM.
WHERE WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND WHERE THIS INTERSECTS BACK WITH VINT'S CONCERNS IS TO BE SURE THAT WE CAN DO A BOTH JOB OF PROVIDING BOTH GOOD LOCALIZATION AND PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH SCRIPTS IN THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENTS AND TO FIND A WAY FOR THOSE USERS TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS USING DIFFERENT SETS OF SCRIPTS AND ENVIRONMENTS. THAT MAY REQUIRE THE USER TO UNDERSTAND CERTAIN THINGS, IT MIGHT REQUIRE THAT OUR SOFTWARE BE MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN WE'RE USED TO, IT MAY REQUIRE OTHER THINGS. I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT HARD. WE JUST HAVE TO GET A LITTLE MORE INTELLIGENT ABOUT IT THAN MOST OF US HAVE BEEN IN THE RECENT PAST BECAUSE I THINK WE HEARD ONE EXAMPLE TODAY OF EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOHN. ALEX.
>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: I'LL BE VERY BRIEF. INDEED, I SEEM TO HAVE INHERITED AMADEU'S ROLE, AND I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT BEFORE YOU COMMENTED.
IN ADDING ENVIRONMENTAL OR CONTEXTUAL THOUGHT ON THE QUESTION, A SECOND I SHARE WITH JOHN FREQUENTLY A CASSANDRA ROLE, AND I ONLY HOPE WE ARE WRONG IN THE PREDICTIONS. FOR THIS PARTICULAR CASE, VINT, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TWO COMMENTS. ONE OF THEM IS IT IS INDEED HEARTENING AND ENLIGHTENING TO HEAR PROFESSOR QIAN'S VIEW ON WHAT IS BEING DONE ON CHINA AND WHAT HE HAS ALSO COLLECTED FROM JAPAN AND THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. THERE IS PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND HE HAS MENTIONED IT CORRECTLY, GIVEN ITS DUE, OF THE INTERNET COMMUNITY GLOBALLY THAT THINKS THE INTERNET IS FOR COMMUNICATING BEYOND YOUR OWN COUNTRY, CULTURE AND LANGUAGE. AND IT IS INDEED WHAT MAKES THE INTERNET SO MUCH MORE UNIQUE AND SIGNIFICANT.
BUT I THINK THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO THINK THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO HAVE EVERYTHING EVERY TIME FOR ALL THE TIME, BUT WE CAN BUILD UP. AND IF -- WITH THE CAVEATS THAT YOU AND JOHN HAVE EXPRESSED, IF THE SYSTEM DOES NOT BECOME INTEROPERABLE, DOES NOT BECOME A CLOSED TALLY, WE SHOULD BE ALSO ABLE TO LIVE WITH IT STEP BY STEP.
AND THE SECOND COMMENT IS AGAIN RELATED TO THE MORE GLOBAL CONTEXT. IN CIRCLES LIKE OF THOSE WHO DISCUSS THINGS LIKE IDNS AROUND THE WORLD SUMMIT FOR THE INFORMATION SOCIETY, THERE IS OFTEN MADE THE STATEMENT FOR THE IDN THE TECHNOLOGY IS THERE AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF POLITICAL WILL AND ICANN IS THE SLOW PART. THIS IS A FREQUENT COMMENT.
I THINK THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE HAD THIS WEEK HERE ON IDNS, THE ENLIGHTENMENT ABOUT WHAT BROWSER VENDORS AND E-MAIL CLIENT VENDORS AND SO FORTH ARE NOW ALSO BEGINNING TO SEE, WE REALIZE THAT THERE'S A NEW LAYER OF COMPLEXITY EXPECTING US IN IDNS.
I WILL TAKE UP A COMMENT MADE BY TOM NILES PRIVATELY LAST EVENING AND THAT IS THAT WE SHOULD ALSO BE SURE WE ARE COMMUNICATING THE RIGHT MESSAGE. IF WE KEEP INSISTING THIS IS HARD, IDNS ARE HARD AND DIFFICULT, IT WILL BE, AS MOUHAMET HAS ALSO WARNED US FREQUENTLY, SOMEONE ELSE WHO SAYS I CAN DO IT, WE WILL ABLE TO PERFORM IT AND TAKE THE LEAD, PROBABLY WITHOUT ANY FORESEEABLE SUCCESSFUL RESULTS.
SO I THINK THAT OUR CLEAR MESSAGE TO OUR VERY, VERY BROAD COMMUNITY NOW, WE'RE NOT SPEAKING ABOUT DOMAIN NAME PURCHASERS IN THE ADVANCED COUNTRIES, WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT USERS IN EVERY COUNTRY, IS IDNS ARE HARD. THERE'S A LOT THAT CAN BE DONE. THE POLICY AND LET'S SAY THE NONTECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS ARE HUGE. AND THERE SHOULD BE MANY EFFORTS, PREFERABLY CONSERVATIVE, AND AWARE OF THESE POTENTIAL DIFFICULTIES.
ONE IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS WOULD BE TO ENCOURAGE THE START OF TEST BEDS THAT HAVE WAYS OUT. THE TEST BEDS THAT WE HAVE HAD BEFORE WERE NOT PARTICULARLY WELL ENDOWED IN WAYS OUT, IN WAYS OF SHUTTING DOWN, OF CLOSING UP SHOP IF THINGS WENT WRONG.
>>VINT CERF: THIS FALLS INTO THE RUBRIC OF FIRST DO NO HARM. LET ME RECOGNIZE PETER AND THEN RICHARD, AND THEN I WANT TO KIND OF CLOSE THIS DISCUSSION DOWN BECAUSE WE HAVE A FEW MORE THINGS TO DO, AND THEN I THINK WE NEED TO ADJOURN.
PETER.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I THINK WHAT COMES OUT OF ALL OF THIS IS HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR BRINGING THE INTERNET TO THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT OTHERWISE ARE EXCLUDED BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH ENGLISH WHILE THE INTERNET IS SORT OF MONOLINGUAL.
I APPROACH THIS WITH HUMILITY BECAUSE OF THE AWESOME DIFFICULTY OF THE CHALLENGE, BUT WE HAVE TO ALSO BE AWARE THAT WE BRING, IN THE ICANN COMMUNITY, EXTRAORDINARY SKILLS, AND WE'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE PROTAGONISTS OR ACTORS WITH THOSE SKILLS.
AND WE HAVE TO BE IMPRESSED AT THE RESULTS THAT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED ALREADY.
BUT AS ALEJANDRO HAS SAID, ICANN IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THIS IS BEING DISCUSSED. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, AS AN ORGANIZATION, STEP UP TO THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE THAT IDN IS CURRENTLY PRESENTING, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK TO THE INCLUSION OF AT LEAST A HIGH LEVEL STRATEGY STATEMENT IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT ICANN IS GOING TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN RELATION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF IDNS CONSISTENT WITH OUR ROLE IN RELATION TO PRESERVING SECURITY AND STABILITY.
>>VINT CERF: SOUNDS LIKE GOOD ADVICE TO ME.
RICHARD.
>>RICHARD THWAITES: THANKS, VINT. AS LIAISON TO THIS BOARD, NOMINATED FROM THE ITU, I'D JUST LIKE TO PUT ON THE RECORD THAT THE ITU WOULD SUPPORT EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID ON THIS SUBJECT HERE TODAY. AS PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY AWARE, THERE'S BEEN QUITE A LOT OF FORMAL RESOLUTION MAKING IN VARIOUS ITU FORUMS WITH FULL SORT OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT. AT PLENARY POTENTIAL LEVEL AND SO FORTH. AND ALSO THERE IS INFORMAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THOSE WORKING WITHIN THE ITU FRAMEWORK ON THIS SUBJECT OF INTERNATIONALIZED DOMAIN NAMES, THE PURPOSE OF WHICH HAS BEEN ESSENTIALLY TO EMPHASIZE HOW IMPORTANT THIS SUBJECT IS CONSIDERED TO BE BY THE TELECOMMUNICATION COMMUNITY AT LARGE, BUT NATURALLY IN THIS CASE WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE IP-BASED SERVICES THAT ARE INCREASINGLY BEING MADE A COMPONENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES.
NOW, THE THING THAT I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO NOTE ON THIS ISSUE IS THE QUESTION OF WHERE WORK IS DONE ON A PARTICULAR THING. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WAY THE ITU STANDARDIZATION PROCESSES WORK THESE DAYS IS NOT TO THINK THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE IN AN EXCLUSIVE PROCESS, DONE OR CONTROLLED BY THE ITU. A HIGH PROPORTION OF THOSE STANDARDS WHICH GO THROUGH A PROCESS AND GRADUALLY GET THE FULL ENDORSEMENT OF GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD WHO WILL THEN CONTRIBUTE TO SUPPORTING THOSE STANDARDS, THE TECHNICAL WORD IS NOT DONE IN THE ITU. IT'S DONE IN THE APPROPRIATE FORUM, INCLUDING IN MANY CASES THE IETF AND IN OTHER CASES SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION FORUMS AND SO FORTH.
SO AS FAR AS THE ITU'S INTEREST IN IDNS IS CONCERNED, WE WOULD BE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF WORK DONE IN WHATEVER FORUM IS DOING EFFECTIVE WORK, WHETHER THIS IS ON A REGIONAL BASIS ON AN INDIVIDUAL-LANGUAGE BASIS, BUT HOPEFULLY ON A COORDINATED, GLOBAL, CONSISTENT, INTEROPERABLE BASIS WHICH WOULD BE THEN SUITABLE FOR ENDORSE AMOUNT GOVERNMENT LEVEL, EVENTUALLY, THROUGH THE ITU AS GLOBAL STANDARDS.
THAT IS OUR STAKE IN THIS MATTER. THANKS.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, RICHARD. THAT REMINDS THAT ME THAT WE SPENT SOME TIME ARRANGING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE ITU SO WE COULD CROSS-REFERENCE EACH OTHER'S STANDARDS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE EXACTLY OF THAT MECHANISM.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE ON NOW TO THE LAST COUPLE OF ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. IN PARTICULAR, THIS IS THE PORTION WHERE WE GET TO SAY THANK YOU TO SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO MEET HERE SUCCESSFULLY IN ARGENTINA.
SO I'D LIKE TO ASK ALEX IF HE WOULD KINDLY MAKE OUR THANKS TO THE SCRIBES, THE SPONSORS, STAFF AND TRANSLATORS.
>>PETER DENGATE THRUSH: COULD I INTERRUPT WITH ONE OTHER ITEM OF BUSINESS BEFORE WE GET TO WHAT SHOULD BE A HAPPY MATTER. CAN I RAISE ONE OTHER HAPPY MATTER, AND THAT IS THAT WITH THE -- WITH THE SEATING OF THE TWO CCNSO APPOINTED DIRECTORS AT THIS MEETING, A MAJOR PORTION OF THE RESTRUCTURING OF ICANN IS NOW COMPLETE. AND I WANTED TO JUST PAY TRIBUTE TO ALEJANDRO, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ERC, LEADERSHIP OF THE CCTLD COMMUNITY, STAFF AND ALL OTHERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT PORTION OF THE RESTRUCTURING. AND THING THIS MARKS AN HISTORIC END TO WHAT HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT BUT VERY IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS, AND THE CCTLD COMMUNITY I THINK IS PLEASED WITH THE RESULT.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU, PETER.
I JUST REALIZED --
(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: I NEGLECTED TO PICK UP MIKE PALAGE WHO WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE THING ON THE NEW BUSINESS AGENDA.
GO AHEAD, MIKE.
>>MICHAEL PALAGE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. HERE THIS WEEK WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERNS DURING THE PUBLIC FORUM ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION GOING ON WITH DOT PRO.
AS I'VE SAID DURING SOME OF THE MEETINGS WITH THE CONSTITUENCIES EARLIER THIS WEEK, THIS IS A TOPIC THAT I THINK BOTH STAFF AND BOARD TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY. ICANN STAFF RIGHT NOW IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT NOT TO RUSH TO JUDGMENT, LET ICANN STAFF DO THEIR JOB. ONCE WE GET THE REPORT BACK FROM STAFF, AT THAT TIME WE WOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT TO RAISE BECAUSE WE ARE LISTENING TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO SAY AND WE DO TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY REGISTRY AND REGISTRAR COMPLIANCE AS POSTED RECENTLY ON THE ICANN WEB SITE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE TWO NEW TLDS THAT WE HAVE MOVED TO BE ADD TODAY THE ROOT. THANK YOU.
>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MIKE.
NOW, ALEX, IF YOU'LL PROCEED WITH THE NEXT THANK YOUS.
BY THE WAY, I WOULD NOTE, IN THE ABSENCE OF INTERPRETERS, THAT WE MAY NEED TO PERFORM THIS RITUAL TWICE, ONCE IN SPANISH AND ONCE IN ENGLISH FOR PEOPLE FOR WHOM ENGLISH IS NOT IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTANDABLE.

>>ALEJANDRO PISANTY: VINT, WE ARE FARMING OUT THIS TASK TO SPANISH-SPEAKERS ON THE BOARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS FROM A STANDING POSITION, BECAUSE --
I WAS TAUGHT IN ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL THAT STANDING UP WAS A SHOW OF RESPECT.
AND I WILL DO PART OF THIS IN SPANISH AND PART IN ENGLISH, AND I WILL TRY TO DO BOTH LANGUAGES NOT MIXED.
(PRESENTATION IN SPANISH.) I WILL WANT TO START WITH AN EXPRESSION OF THANKS NOT CONTAINED IN THE FORMAL RESOLUTION OF THIS BOARD.
(PRESENTATION IN SPANISH.)
THANKS FOR AMBASSADOR ILEANA DI GIOVAN BATTISTA AND CARLOS -- PATRANI OF THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE.
FOR THE INTEREST, THE SUPPORT, AND THE PROMOTION THEY MADE OF THE PRESENTATION OF MANY PEOPLE OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONS.

(SPANISH.)
THUS HAS BEEN ABLE TO INTERACT WITH NEW ACTORS AND PARTICIPANTS.
(SPANISH.)
WHICH HAVE EXPRESSED THIS INTEREST IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WORLD SUMMIT FOR THE INFORMATION SOCIETY, AN INTEREST THAT IS INTERNATIONALLY EXPRESSED FOR THIS PURPOSE.
NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE A FORMAL RESOLUTION, WHICH IS THE THANKS TO SCRIBES, SPONSORS, STAFF, AND TRANSLATORS.
AND I WILL INTRODUCE -- I WILL READ THIS IN SPANISH FIRST.
(PRESENTATION IN SPANISH.)
SORRY, THIS BOARD EXTENDS ITS THANKS TO ALL THE SPONSORS OF THIS MEETING, INCLUDING THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED, AFILIAS, VERISIGN, LACNIC, PIR .ORG, COMITE GESTOR .BR, DENIC, COMSAT, FIBERTEL, GLOBAL CROSSING, INTERMEDIASP, NEULEVEL, NOMINALIA, NIC MEXICO, NIC CHILE, AND POLO INFORMATICO CIUDAD MAR DEL PLATA.

WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE EFFORT MADE BY THE STAFF OF THE HOTEL SHERATON MAR DEL PLATA TO FULFILL OUR MULTIPLE REQUESTS.

THE BOARD EXPRESSES ITS RECOGNITION TO THE STAFF OF ICANN PRESENT IN MAR DEL PLATA, TO OUR SCRIBES, WHO HAVE PERFORMED PHENOMENALLY, AS USUAL, LAURA BREWER, TERI B. DARRENOUGUE, AND TO THE REST -- AND THIS MEANS THE PART THAT'S NOT PRESENT HERE -- OF THE STAFF OF ICANN FOR THEIR DEDICATED EFFORTS TO ENSURE THE SMOOTH OPERATION OF THIS MEETING.

(SPANISH.)
THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO THANK NORMA ROSSI AND COLLABORATORS AND COWORKERS FOR PROVIDING THE SERVICES OF SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETING.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD BEYOND THE FORMAL RESOLUTION, TO ALL OF THOSE WHO HAD THE IDEA, SPONSORED IT, AND MADE POSSIBLE TO HAVE VERY EXTENDED TIME WITH THIS EXTREMELY VALUABLE SERVICE OF SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: NOW I'D LIKE TO CALL UPON RAIMUNDO BECA TO EXTEND OUR THANKS TO OUR HOSTS.
>>RAIMUNDO BECA: I HAVE TO DO THIS ONE ALSO IN SPANISH.
I WILL MAKE A FREE TRANSLATION.
THE RESOLUTION IS THE FOLLOWING:
(SPANISH.)
WHICH MEANS THAT CONSIDERING THAT ICANN HAS CONCLUDED SUCCESSFULLY ITS MEETING IN MAR DEL PLATA, ARGENTINA, AND THAT WE -- ALL THE HOSPITALITY WE HAVE RECEIVED HERE.
(SPANISH.)
I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TRANSLATE ALL THE NAMES.
SO...
(ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THANKS:
WHEREAS, ICANN HAS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ITS 2005 SPRING ICANN MEETING IN MAR DEL PLATA.
WHEREAS, THE GRACIOUS AND WARM HOSPITALITY, SPLENDID FACILITIES, STRONG SUPPORT, AND CLOSE ATTENTION TO FULFILLING THE NEEDS OF PARTICIPANTS HAVE ALL BEEN TRULY MAGNIFICENT.
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED, THE ICANN BOARD EXPRESSES ITS DEEP APPRECIATION AND THANKS ON ITS OWN BEHALF AND ON BEHALF OF ALL PARTICIPANTS, TO THE HOST COMMITTEE: PATRICIO SEOANE, PRESIDENTE CABASE; OSCAR MESSANO, VICEPRESIDENTE CABASE; ARIEL GRAIZER, SECRETARIO CABASE; SEBASTIAN BELLAGAMBA, EX PRESIDENTE CABASE, HERNAN SEOANE, TESORERO CABASE, ANTHONY HARRIS, DIRECTOR EJECUTIVE CABASE, AND SILVANA LANDOLFO, COORDINADORA INSTITUCIONAL CABASE.
THE ICANN BOARD ALSO EXPRESSES ITS SPECIAL THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO OSCAR GARCIA Y EQUIPO TECNICO; MIGUEL TETAMANTI; IVANA DALESSANDRO Y EQUIPO; SANTIAGO BOTTO Y EQUIPO, SYLVIA CAESAR REY Y EQUIPO, SONIA DE FRANCISCO AND THE CABASE STAFF: CRISTIAN RINALDI, PRENSA, GABRIEL ADONAYLO, FERNANDA GONZALEZ MARTINENGHI, ADMINISTRACION Y SECRETARIA AND THE MEMBERS OF CABASE FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN MAKING THIS MEETING SUCH A SUCCESS.)

(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: I DON'T HAVE A MICROPHONE, BUT MAYBE -- OKAY.
SO I WANT -- HEY, YOU DID THE SAME THING THE REST OF US DID.
OKAY.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: I THINK I DON'T NEED TO INTRODUCE TONY HARRIS.
HE HAS BEEN EVERYWHERE AT ONCE, LIKE A GOOD ELECTRON.
HE HAS A PROBABILITY OTHER THAN ZERO OF BEING EVERYWHERE AT ANY ONE MOMENT IN TIME.
TONY, WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK AND ALL OF THE HELP, AND JUST IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.
TONY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO DO LITERALLY ANYTHING IN ORDER TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S DONE.
SO WE WANT TO OFFER A VERY SMALL TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE THIS WEEK AND FOR WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING HERE AND WHAT I AM SURE YOU WILL DO HERE IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>TONY HARRIS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'M A LITTLE EMOTIONAL, SO THAT'S IT.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: NOW, I HAD HOPED TO FIND OSCAR MESSANO HERE, BUT I DON'T SEE HIM.
SO -- DID HE? OKAY.
I JUST WANT ALSO TO THANK OSCAR, WHO WORKED SO HARD TO GET ALL OF THE TECHNICAL PIECES TOGETHER HERE FOR US.
AND WE WILL CONVEY TO HIM ANOTHER TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION.
BUT I WANT TO FORMALLY THANK HIM AND ASK YOU TO JOIN ME IN DOING SO.

(APPLAUSE.)
>>VINT CERF: THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN -- THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TONY.
THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CONCLUDES THIS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF ICANN.
I LOOK FORWARD, AS DO ALL OF US, TO SEEING YOU IN LUXEMBOURG.
AND, OF COURSE, WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE NET.
BYE.
(APPLAUSE.)
(11:23 A.M.)