[commedia] [CRIS Info] ICANN

[Wolfgang Kleinwächter]

Dear friedns,

maybe you have noticed, that ICANN´s CEO Stuart Lynn has made a reform
proposal for a restructuring of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers. The core of the proposal is to eliminate the concept of User
participation in decision making within in ICANN and to fill the seats of
five Board directors with representatives of national governments. So far,
national governments do not have a seat in the Board. According the ICANN
bylaws so far the recommendations of the "Governmental Advisory Committee"
are not binding for Board.  Lynn says in his statement, that the project of
"Governance without Governments" has failed and the direct involvement of
Internet Users (as part of the Civil Society) does not work. ICANN is not a
place to experiment Cyberdemocracy and governments are the best legitimate
representatives of the civil society. Whlle ICANN needs certainly reform,
the question is whether the replacement of direct elected internet user
representatives by governmental nominated representatives is the right way.

If the reform moves in the direction of the proposed reform plan this will
mark a major shift in Internet policy and will have undoubtly consequences
for the future development of policy making within the global information
society as such. And insofar it will effect to a high degree also the
forthcoming WSIS.

There are numerous discussion now arround the issue among all kinds of NGO
groups which you can find, inter alia, under www.icannwatch.com. At the
same time, the so-called At Large Membership within ICANN has started to
organize itself by taking steps to create an independent At Large
Supporting Organisation (ALSO) which could become an institutional
framework for bottom up policy development of Internet Users.

To make this voice heard there is a need to reach a "critical mass" of
"interested and concerned members". You can become a part of this by
registering under http://www.icannatlarge.com/index.htm.

Best regards and feel free to distribute these message in broaeder circels.

Wolfgang



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