ICANN|ARCHIVES

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

WELCOME CEREMONY
ICANN VANCOUVER
DECEMBER 1, 2005

(BAGPIPES PLAYING)

(APPLAUSE.)

>>VINT CERF: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

(APPLAUSE.)

>>PAUL TWOMEY: GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THE VANCOUVER MEETING OF ICANN.
THOUGH MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN HERE TOURING FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

I THINK MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, THIS IS THE 27th MEETING, INTERNATIONAL
MEETING OF ICANN.

I FIRST OF ALL WOULD LIKE TO PARTICULARLY WELCOME GEORGE HUNTER, THE
PRESIDENT OF LEADING EDGE BRITISH COLUMBIA, ONE OF OUR KEY CO-HOSTS, AND
ALSO TO ALI FARSHCHIAN, THE PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF CircleID, WHO BOTH WILL
BE TALKING SHORTLY. I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK ANGELA BECKET WHO IS
THE PIPER FOR TODAY.

(APPLAUSE.)

>>PAUL TWOMEY: AND ALSO THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE WAYNE KLEMMER.

WAYNE HAS TWO HONORS. HE IS OBVIOUSLY A MOUNTIE AND SECONDLY HE IS A FRIEND
OF FRANK FOWLIE, THE OMBUDSMAN. SO IF YOU GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE OMBUDSMAN,
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE UP AGAINST.

AND I HAVE TO SAY, ANGELA, THE LAST TIME I WAS PIPED INTO A ROOM, IT WAS IN
SCOTLAND AND THERE WAS A HAGGIS INVOLVED, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MAKES
VINT CERF.

(LAUGHTER.)

>>PAUL TWOMEY: YOU GET THE CHANCE TO COME AFTERWARDS.

CAN I SAY WELCOME TO EVERYBODY, PARTICULARLY TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR
CO-HOSTS. I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING. I THINK
THE FACILITIES WE HAVE ENJOYED SO FAR, THE ENVIRONMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA,
AND PARTICULARLY VANCOUVER, HAS BEEN DELIGHTFUL.

I'M SOMEONE WHO COMES FROM A COUNTRY, QUEENSLAND IN AUSTRALIA, SO I SHOULD
TELL YOU BOTH BRITISH COLUMBIA AND MOUNTIES ARE MYTHS WHERE I COME FROM, SO
TO ACTUALLY SEE THE MYTHS IN PERSON IS REALLY SOMETHING.

AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE COMMUNITY AND PARTICULARLY TO SAY HOW MUCH I AM
AND I KNOW THE BOARD ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO VERY USEFUL DIALOGUE, LISTING
CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE ON A SERIES OF ISSUES WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US WHICH ARE
CHALLENGING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

BUT I THINK THE DISCUSSIONS TO DATE HAVE BEEN VERY POSITIVE AND WE ARE
LOOKING TO CONTINUE THOSE.

SO IF I CAN JUST SAY WELCOME, AND OPEN IT, AND I WILL PASS ON TO VINT TO MAKE
A FEW WORDS.

>>VINT CERF: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PAUL. IN CASE ANY OF YOU ARE WONDERING, I
AM ACTUALLY NOT LISTENING TO A FOOTBALL GAME. THIS JUST A WAY OF HELPING ME
HEAR BETTER. I AM PLUGGED IN DIRECTLY TO THE SOUND SYSTEM, SO MY GUESS IS I
AM PROBABLY HEARING ALL OF THIS BETTER THAN YOU ARE, AND I APPRECIATE THE
STAFF'S HELP WITH MY IMPAIRMENT.

THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING.

SO FAR WE HAVE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO MEET BOARD TO VARIOUS OF THE SUPPORTING
ORGANIZATION COUNCILS. I SUSPECT THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF
TODAY, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE OPEN SESSIONS, PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS, COMING IN THE
REST OF THE WEEK.

I THINK SO FAR THE EXCHANGES HAVE BEEN EXTRAORDINARILY FRANK, AND THEY HAVE
BEEN QUITE CIVIL. AND I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN
MAKE A LOT MORE PROGRESS IF WE BEHAVE IN A PROFESSIONAL WAY.

SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT MANY OF THE
ISSUES BEFORE US FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE COMMENTS.

I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK OUR TWO CO-HOSTS VERY MUCH FOR THE EFFORT THAT
THEY AND THEIR VARIOUS TEAMS HAVE PUT INTO ORGANIZING THIS EVENT. I'M SURE
THAT THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE GETTING INTO ENTIRELY UNTIL THE
DAY ARRIVED. SO I WANT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD FOR ALL
OF THE WORK WHICH YOU HAVE PUT IN SO FAR AND WHICH YOU UNDOUBTEDLY WILL BE
PUTTING IN FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.

I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR ATTENDING, FOR MAKING THIS A CONSTRUCTIVE MEETING. I
LOOK FORWARD TO THE REMAINDER OF OUR SESSIONS THROUGH SUNDAY.

I TURN THE DISCUSSION NOW OVER TO Mr. FARSHCHIAN.

>>ALI FARSHCHIAN: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VINT.

GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. MY NAME IS ALI FARSHCHIAN FROM CircleID
AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO VANCOUVER. WE ARE PROUD TO BE THE
HOST FOR THESE ICANN MEETINGS AND SPECIAL THANKS TO ICANN COMMITTEE FOR
GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY. I HOPE THE ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM WE ARE SEEING
HERE IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA WILL LEAD TO A SUCCESSFUL AND POSITIVE
ICANN MEETING OVERALL.

THANK YOU AND HAVE A WONDERFUL STAY. AND NOW I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE GEORGE
HUNTER, PRESIDENT OF LEADING EDGE BRITISH COLUMBIA.

>>GEORGE HUNTER: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL. I AM
DELIGHTED THAT VINT USED THE WORD "FRANK" AND "CIVIL" IN TERMS OF THE
DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE HERE. IT'S A VERY CANADIAN WAY OF DOING
THINGS.

AND WE TEND TO BE FRANK AND CIVIL ABOUT MOST OF OUR DISCUSSIONS.

ON BEHALF OF LEADING EDGE BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE PREMIERS TECHNOLOGY
COUNCIL AND THE TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY HERE IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH
COLUMBIA, I AM DELIGHTED THAT ICANN IS HERE, I AM DELIGHTED THAT YOU
INDIVIDUALLY ARE HERE, AND I AM HOPING AND WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE
SURE YOUR STAY HERE IS BOTH SUCCESSFUL AND PROFITABLE TO YOU AND ENJOYABLE IN
TERMS OF GETTING OUT AND SEEING THE CITY OF VANCOUVER.

AND ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT I HAVE BEEN PRESENTED HERE IS TO DO A
LITTLE THING THAT'S NOT PARTICULARLY CANADIAN. AT LEAST WE DON'T HAVE A
REPUTATION FOR IT, AND THAT'S BRAG A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR WONDERFUL CITY AND
OUR PROVINCE.

I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO TRAVELED A GREAT DISTANCE TO BE HERE. FOR
SOME OF YOU IT WILL BE YOUR FIRST VISIT TO BRITISH COLUMBIA, OR AT LEAST YOUR
FIRST VISIT ON BUSINESS. MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY BEEN HERE PREVIOUSLY FOR
HOLIDAYS. WE'RE ALREADY WELL-KNOWN AS A DESIRABLE TOURIST DESTINATION. IN
FACT, FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, CONDE NAST THE WELL-KNOWN TRAVELLER
MAGAZINE HAS VOTED VANCOUVER THE BEST CITY IN THE AMERICAS AT THEIR ANNUAL
READER'S CHOICE AWARDS. WE ARE ALSO GAINING A REPUTATION AS A DESTINATION
FOR BUSINESS EVENTS, ACCORDING TO THE AMSTERDAM-BASED INTERNATIONAL
CONGRESS AND CONVENTION ASSOCIATION, VANCOUVER IS NOW AMERICA'S TOP
DESTINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS.

THIS YEAR THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE RANKED VANCOUVER AS THE BEST CITY IN THE
WORLD FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS BECAUSE OF ITS SOLID INFRASTRUCTURE AND
PERCEIVED SAFETY.

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED IF YOU HAVE TAKEN A WALK OUT ON THE SEA WALL HERE THE
LARGE NUMBER OF CONSTRUCTION CRANES. WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MASSIVE NEW
CONSTRUCTION PHASE IN THE CITY OF VANCOUVER. WE ARE BUILDING A BRAND-NEW
CONVENTION CENTER AND ADDING ABOUT $6 BILLION WORTH OF NEW FACILITIES RELATED
TO THE 2010 OLYMPICS, WHICH I HOPE YOU WILL ALL COME BACK FOR IN JUST A FEW
YEARS.

I THINK THIS EVENING YOU WILL BE WELCOMED BY OUR MINISTER OF ADVANCED
EDUCATION, MURRAY COELL, AND HE WILL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE
GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS RELATED TO 2010.

WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR CITY AND OUR PROVINCE AS A DESTINATION FOR TOURISM
AND BUSINESS. I HOPE IN THE NEXT DAY YOU WILL ALSO GAIN AN APPRECIATION OF
BRITISH COLUMBIA AS A LEADING DESTINATION FOR TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE AND A
GREAT PLACE FOR YOU TO LIVE AND WORK.

VANCOUVER IS THE HOME TO MANY PEOPLES OF THE WORLD. IT'S A PLACE WHERE EAST
REALLY DOES MEET WEST. THE TOP TEN LANGUAGES SPOKEN HERE ARE ENGLISH,
CHINESE, PUNJABI, GERMAN, TAGALOG OR FILIPINO, FRENCH, ITALIAN, SPANISH,
KOREAN, AND HINDI. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT NO MATTER WHERE YOU COME FROM IN
THE WORLD, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIND A RESTAURANT THAT SERVES YOUR NATIONAL
CUISINE.

WE ARE CONSISTENTLY RATED AMONG THE WORLD'S MOST LIVABLE CITY. THIS YEAR,
VANCOUVER AND VIENNA SHARED THIRD PLACE IN MERCER'S OVERALL
QUALITY-OF-LIFE INDEX. AND LET'S FACE IT THERE AREN'T MANY PLACES IN THE
WORLD WHERE YOU CAN WINDSURF, SKI, SAIL, PARAGLIDE, KAYAKING, GO SALMON
FISHING OR DOWNHILL BIKING ALL WITHIN LESS THAN AN HOUR OF WHERE WE ARE
SITTING RIGHT NOW.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE ARE A MAGNET FOR THE YOUNG AND THE YOUNG AT HEART.
THIS MONTH, VANCOUVER WAS RATED BY THE AMERICAN BUSINESS MAGAZINE "FAST
COMPANY" AS ONE OF THE BEST-POSITIONED CITIES IN THE WORLD TO ATTRACT
CREATIVE TALENT. AND WE ALSO PRODUCE OUR OWN HIGHLY TALENTED PEOPLE. CANADA
HAS ONE OF THE BEST EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD. OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
CONSISTENTLY RANK AMONG THE WORLD'S LEADERS IN MATH AND SCIENCE. CANADA
ENJOYS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT IN THE WORLD.
AMONG THE G7, CANADA HAS THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA EXPENDITURE ON TRAINING AND
EDUCATION, THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMPUTER LITERACY AMONG EMPLOYEES. CANADA IS
THE SECOND MOST CONNECTED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AFTER THE UNITED STATES, AND
BRITISH COLUMBIA IS THE MOST CONNECTED PROVINCE IN CANADA. INTERESTINGLY
ENOUGH, AND THIS IS PROBABLY MORE PERVASIVE THAN JUST IN CANADA, CANADIANS
AGE 18 TO 34 SPEND MORE TIME ONLINE THAN THEY DO WATCHING TV.

WE ARE HOME TO EIGHT OF THE TOP 100 BUSINESS SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD, 18 OF THE
TOP 40 ENGINEERING SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD, AND IT'S NOT SURPRISING, THEREFORE,
THAT OUR FIVE UNIVERSITIES AND 17 TRAINING INSTITUTES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
PRODUCE SOME OF THE BEST ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS, MEDICAL RESEARCHERS, COMPUTER
SCIENTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS YOU WILL FIND ANYWHERE IN THE PLANET.

BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS ALSO BECOME ONE OF THE COMPETITIVE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENTS IN THE WORLD. WE ARE STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED AT THE NORTH END
OF THE WEST COAST TECHNOLOGY CORRIDOR GIVING US EASY ACCESS TO THE LARGEST
CONCENTRATION OF TECHNOLOGY ENTERPRISE ANYWHERE IN THE GLOBE. SEATTLE,
SAN FRANCISCO, SAN JOSE, LOS ANGELES, AND SAN DIEGO, ALL IN THE SAME TIME
ZONE, ARE JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS AWAY BY AIR.

CANADA HAS THE LOWEST COST STRUCTURE FOR TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY AMONG THE
DEVELOPED NATIONS IN THE WORLD, AND KELOWNA AND VANCOUVER, BOTH B.C. CITIES,
ARE THE TWO LOWEST COST TECHNOLOGY CITIES IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA.

WE HAVE THE WORLD'S MOST AGGRESSIVE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TAX CREDIT PROGRAM
AND HOST OF NEW TAX ADVANTAGED PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS. SO IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT IN A RECENT SODER SCHOOL OF
BUSINESS STUDY, BC RANKED NUMBER ONE IN NORTH AMERICA FOR THE CREATION OF
INVESTOR VALUE FROM THE R&D INVESTMENT.

AND ALTHOUGH WE HAVEN'T TRADITIONALLY BEEN KNOWN AS A LOW TAX ENVIRONMENT,
THAT'S CHANGING VERY QUICKLY. JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE, COMPARED TO
THAT TECHNOLOGY POWERHOUSE CALIFORNIA, WE CAN BOAST LOWER CORPORATE TAX
RATES, LOWER PERSONAL CAPITAL GAINS RATES, LOWER TOP MARGINAL PERSONAL INCOME
TAX AS WELL AS CORPORATE AND CAPITAL GAINS AND PAYROLL TAXES THAT ARE LESS
THAN HALF OF THAT FOUND IN THAT STATE.

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS ARE COMMITTED TO FISCAL
PRUDENCE. CANADA'S NATIONAL DEFICITS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. WE HAVE HAD
BUDGET SURPLUSES FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS RUNNING, AND OUR DEBT-TO-GDP
RATIO IS FALLING VERY RAPIDLY. AND THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT IS MANDATED TO
DELIVER BALANCED BUDGETS. THIS PAVES THE WAY FOR OUR GOVERNMENT'S STATED
OBJECTIVE AND BOTH GOVERNMENTS' STATED OBJECTIVE OF DRIVING OUR TAX RATES
EVEN LOWER.

IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITY, THEY ABOUND IN OUR PROVINCE. B.C. IS
HOME TO DOZENS OF ESTABLISHED GLOBAL GIANTS SUCH AS INTEL, YAHOO!, IBM,
APPLE, KODAK, AND CRAY, AND WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF EMERGING COMPANIES AND A
DOZEN OF TECHNOLOGY AREAS.

ONE-THIRD OF CANADA'S FASTEST GROWING TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES ARE HERE IN
BRITISH COLUMBIA. WE'RE THE CREATIVE HEART OF THE GLOBAL GAMING INDUSTRY,
ANCHORED BY THE HEAD OFFICE OF EA'S WORLDWIDE STUDIOS. WE'RE THE CENTER OF A
RAPIDLY EMERGING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SECTOR AND A WORLD LEADING CENTER FOR
FUEL CELL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ANCHORED BY THE BALLARD, OUR LIFE SCIENCES
COMMUNITY ANCHORED BY COMPANIES SUCH AS QLT AND ANGIOTECH IS THE THIRD
LARGEST IN NORTH AMERICA AND BOASTS THREE OF ONLY 19 PROFITABLE BIOTECH
COMPANIES IN NORTH AMERICA.

SO IT'S WHETHER THESE AREAS OR I.T., WIRELESS, MEDICAL DEVICES, ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY, OCEAN SCIENCE AND MANY OTHERS, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND YOUNG,
DYNAMIC BREAK-OUT COMPANIES HERE IN THE PROVINCE.

I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR MEETING, AND I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T COME TO TALK
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT OUR BUSINESS, BUT I KNOW YOU ARE ALL INDIVIDUALLY
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE. YOU COME FROM DIVERSE JURISDICTIONS AROUND THE WORLD,
AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE BACK. WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
WE'D BE DELIGHTED TO DISCUSS BUSINESS ACTIVITIES, WHETHER PERSONAL OR
CORPORATE, WITH YOU. AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES
PRESENTED BY BC, GO TO OUR WEB SITE, WWW.LEADINGEDGEBC.CA, OR CONTACT ME
DIRECTLY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>>PAUL TWOMEY: THANK YOU, GEORGE. THANK YOU, ALI.

THE COMMUNITY HERE VERY MUCH APPRECIATES THE EFFORT AND THE EXPENSE THAT YOU
HAVE GONE TO HELP MAKE THIS MEETING TAKE PLACE. I'D PARTICULARLY LIKE TO
THANK CircleID FOR ITS ENTHUSIASM AND VISION, BIDDING AND PUTTING FORWARD
PROPOSALS EARLIER VERY MUCH. I THINK IT'S A NEW TYPE OF MODEL FOR US, WHICH
WORKED WELL SO FAR.

AND THE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY WELL. THE CONNECTIVITY WORKS.
EVERYTHING IS GREAT.

SO CAN I JUST SAY THANKS VERY MUCH. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR EVERYBODY ATTENDING
THIS OPENING SESSION. I KNOW WE'VE GOT LOTS OF WORK TO DO SO I'LL LET PEOPLE
START DOING ALL THAT WORK OR CONTINUE DOING ALL THAT WORK. AND WE MIGHT FIND
A PIPER TO LEAVE BY OR SOMEHOW TO LEAVE. SO THANKS VERY MUCH.

(APPLAUSE.)