[governance] NTIA announcment

[Anriette Esterhuysen]

Hi all

Here is the press release APC put out earlier today.  What are the plans
for a reaction from Best Bits?
http://www.apc.org/en/node/19068

Anriette

JOHANNESBURG, Mar 15 (APCNews)

PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

*APC welcomes NTIA announcement on transition of key internet domain
name functions*

14 March 2014 – The Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
welcomes the announcement made by the United States Commerce
Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) of its ‘intent to transition key internet domain name functions
to the global multi-stakeholder community
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2014/ntia-announces-intent-transition-key-internet-domain-name-functions>.'

NTIA’s responsibility under current agreements means it has served as
the “historic steward” of the DNS (internet domain name system). The
fact that a single government currently plays this role, even if it has
not been a particularly “hands-on” role, has been cause for concern and
debate among governments and other stakeholders for more than a decade.

We commend the NTIA for committing to the transition to a
multi-stakeholder process that needs full involvement of civil society,
governments, business and the internet technical community (to mention
just some of the current stakeholders affected by internet decision
making) and for requiring that the resulting transition plan maintains
the openness of the internet.

“This is however not trivial, as mechanisms for ensuring really
effective and inclusive participation of all stakeholders on equal
footing in internet policy making, particularly those that currently
lack power and influence, are still evolving. A further challenge lies
in how to protect the broadest possible public interest in decisions
about DNS and internet root zone management,” said APC Executive
Director Anriette Esterhuysen. “Nevertheless, this is a very
constructive step, definitely in the right direction, and a unique
opportunity to make progress in the evolution of the internet governance
ecosystem. This is particularly important for stakeholders from
developing countries,” she added.

We recommend that ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers), to which the NTIA is entrusting the development of the
transition plan, look beyond its own internal multi-stakeholder
processes in bringing together the larger community for the necessary
consultations on how this transition should be undertaken. We also
recommend that ICANN consider the submissions about how this transition
can take place that were made to the upcoming NetMundial: Global Meeting
on the Future of Internet Governance ‒ www.netmundial.br
<http://www.netmundial.br> ‒ to be held in Brazil in late April 2014.

APC’s proposals can be read here <http://www.apc.org/en/node/19043/>

About APC
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international
network and non-profit organisation founded in 1990 that wants everyone
to have access to a free and open internet to improve lives and create a
more just world. Since its formation in 1990 the APC network and its
members have been committed to achieving universal and affordable access
to a free and open internet.

Press contacts
Anriette Esterhuysen, APC Executive Director – anriette at apc.org
Valeria Betancourt, APC Policy Manager – valeriab at apc.org
Avri Doria, APC affiliate – avri at acm.org
PO Box 29755
Melville, GT 2109
South Africa

(END/2014)


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