<div dir="ltr">I came to ICANN Beijing meeting, its 46th meeting since 1999.<div>I stopped coming to ICANN meeting after 2010 Brussels which was</div><div style>38th. So I missed almost three years, 7 meetings. I have participated</div>
<div style>almost all ICANN meetings except 2 meeting till #36, making 34.</div><div style><br></div><div style>This time, since I am with ALS, Internet Users Network, Tokyo,</div><div style>ICANN offered us the travel fund to join APRALO AGM as well</div>
<div style>as AtLarge other activities. Thank you ICANN.</div><div style><br></div><div style>Having been away for three years from ICANN, certain portions look</div><div style>very new, while other areas have not beeb changed much.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>One thing in particular is, the state of activities of AtLarge seem</div><div style>to be much more strengthened and well-organized than, say</div><div style>3 years ago, or let's say far more than 10 years ago when the current</div>
<div style>ALS/RALO/ALAC structure was proposed.</div><div style><br></div><div style><a href="http://www.anr.org" target="_blank"></a>A good example was the AtLarge meeting with the Board this morning.
</div><div style>Well attended, not in terms of numbers of the people from the Board</div><div style>and in the room, but well listened, discussed, on a rather open and</div><div style>equal basis between the Board and AtLarge. It may sound normal for</div>
<div style>those who do not know much about the dynamics of ICANN, but</div><div style>it is a significant change from the days I know of them, just three years ago.</div><div style><br></div><div style>I made the following comment there.</div>
<div style>
<p class=""><span lang="EN-US" style="color:blue">How can AtLarge find the
interest of 2 billion Internet users (within ICANN remit)? [was asked by a Board member]</span></p>
<p class=""><span lang="EN-US" style="color:blue">That is our mutual
question or mission – if ICANN really wants to become what it claims to be: as “bottom
up and multi-stakeholder” organization, including the users or public. ALAC's <a href="https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/34603268/R3+-+Paper+FINAL+-+EN.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1350161916000">3R White Paper</a> is a good direction forward.</span></p>
<p class=""><span lang="EN-US" style="color:blue">Having AtLarge Summit
with 200 or 400 people may not be a sufficient, but necessary step. Can UN function without general assembly?</span></p>
<p class=""><span lang="EN-US" style="color:blue">ALAC used to be an
additional portion of ICANN, supplemental, but not in the main stream – say
till 3 or 4 years ago. I think it’s time to make AtLatge as one of the three or
four pillars of ICANN, mainstreaming this more.</span></p>
Similar to the Civil Society engagement in IGF process, AtLarge, Individual user component of ICANN, has been facing the challenges - especially from other stakeholders.</div><div style><br></div><div style>It is clear now that ICANN has put more resources to AtLarge area, as well as other areas. </div>
<div style><br></div><div style>YET, I also have a concern that ICANN is learning more towards the interest of the Domain Name business, especially through the introduction of the new gTLDs.</div><div style><br></div><div style>
It really remains to be seen, and, it is quite relevant to our work here, at IGC, as well.</div><div style><br></div><div style>Will try to write more later, I have to listen to the discussion now ;-)</div><div style><br>
</div><div style>izumi</div><div style><br></div><div style><br></div></div>