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<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">Hi,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT face="Book Antiqua">This just in, from
the Republican who previously called on Kofi Annan to resign. Good to know
that his people are keeping busy trawling for more opportunities to cheap shot
the UN in order to raise his standing in the party. Probably some
impressionable young staffer has been reading articles by Declan
McCullagh. I guess it would have been too nuanced to note the
report simply lists options reflecting diverse views, one of which is to make no
changes to oversight. Imagine he'll find some snappy title for the
threatened legislation, like The Defending America's Internet Freedom Act of
2005.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">Best,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">Bill</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"><A
href="http://coleman.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=707">http://coleman.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=707</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=174144706-02082005><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua">
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<TD class=RecordTitle align=middle colSpan=3>
<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><STRONG>COLEMAN DENOUNCES REPORT CALLING
FOR UN GLOBAL INTERNET CONTROL</STRONG> <BR><EM
class=recordsubtitle>Coleman opposed to any proposal to hand control of
Internet governance over to the United Nations</EM></FONT></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=Text align=middle colSpan=3><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=Text style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"><STRONG class=recorddate>July 29th, 2005</STRONG> -
Washington, D.C. - Senator Norm Coleman today submitted a statement into
the Congressional Record denouncing a final report issued by the United
Nations’ Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) suggesting that the
U.N. assume global governance of the Internet. Since its inception and
creation in the United States, the U.S. has assumed the historic role of
overseeing the Internet’s growth and has overseen its development. The
U.N. taskforce report suggests that in addition to terminating the U.S.’s
leadership role, the authority and functions of the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organization overseen
by the U.S. Department of Commerce, should be transferred as well. Senator
Coleman strongly opposes these measures. <BR><BR>“My probe of the U.N. as
Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed
management that was at best, incompetent, and at worst corrupt,” said
Coleman. “The first priority for the United Nations must be fundamental
reform of its management and operations rather than any expansion of its
authority and responsibilities. The Internet has flourished under U.S.
supervision, oversight, and private sector involvement. This growth did
not happen because of increased government involvement, but rather, from
the opening on the Internet to commerce and private sector innovation.
Subjecting the Internet and its security to the politicized control of the
UN bureaucracy would be a giant and foolhardy step backwards.”
<BR><BR>“Recently, I introduced UN reform legislation with the Chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations, Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN), known as the
Coleman-Lugar UN Reform Bill, to help put an end to a culture of
corruption that was exposed by the Oil for Food scandal, peacekeeping
sexual abuse scandals, and other instances of organizational failures at
U.N.,” Coleman said. “Putting the U.N. in charge of one of the world’s
most important technological wonders and economic engines is out of the
question. This proposal would leave the United States with no more say
over the future of the Internet than Cuba or China—countries that have
little or no commitment to the free flow of information.” <BR><BR>The WGIG
taskforce report will be discussed at the next World Summit on the
Information Society Tunisia in November. <BR><BR>“In light of this report,
I also plan to consult with experts and stakeholders regarding Internet
governance, and will assess whether legislation is needed as a remedy,”
Coleman continued. “The U.S. is willing to work with other countries that
have an interest in the management of their own country code domains but
UN control is out of the question. We will continue a dialogue with the
rest of the world on these issues as we go forward.”
</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Book Antiqua"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">*******************************************************<BR>William
J. Drake </FONT><A href="mailto:wdrake@ictsd.ch"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">wdrake@ictsd.ch</FONT></A><BR><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">President, Computer Professionals for <BR>
Social Responsibility </FONT><A href="http://www.cpsr.org/"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">www.cpsr.org</FONT></A><FONT face="Book Antiqua"> <BR>Senior
Associate, International Centre for Trade<BR> and Sustainable
Development </FONT><A href="http://www.ictsd.org/"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">www.ictsd.org</FONT></A><FONT face="Book Antiqua">
<BR> Geneva, Switzerland <BR></FONT><A
href="http://mitpress.mit.edu/IRGP-series"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">http://mitpress.mit.edu/IRGP-series</FONT></A><BR><A
href="http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">http://www.cpsr.org/board/drake</FONT></A><FONT
face="Book Antiqua"> </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Book Antiqua">Morality is the best of all devices for leading </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Book Antiqua">mankind
by the
nose.---Nietzsche<BR>*******************************************************</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"></P><SPAN
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