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Telecommunications Aussie steps into ICANN hot seat
Telecommunications Aussie steps into ICANN hot seat | Aussie steps into ICANN hot seat |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Friday, 14 July 2006 | |
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Page 4 of 5 According to Levins, the task is made more challenging by the diversity of ICANN's stakeholders. "ICANN is a unique model of governance: its stakeholders range from government to technical people to individual Internet users (represented through the 'At Large' Community Advisory Committee). (The NTIA's DNS White Paper listed several key stakeholder groups whose meaningful participation it saw as necessary for effective technical coordination and management of the Internet DNS, and the current enquiry seeks comment on whether all of these groups are involved effectively in the ICANN process, and if not how their involvement could be improved.) ICANN now has about 60 staff, about 45 at its HQ in Marina del Ray in California and about 10 in Brussels. It is now moving to develop a presence in every region of the globe. "They have just appointed regional liaison officers for North America, for South Pacific and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Europe and they are still looking for someone for Latin America and Asia Pacific, to be based in region," Levins said. Levins sees one of his first priorities as communicating ICANN's role much more effectively to all stakeholders. "What it does and what it does not do needs to be a lot clearer: that is vitally important." He claimed that ICANN was "a very transparent organisation" but not very accessible. "I think the organisation has suffered from not having someone focussing on the communication task and that has lead to criticisms that it is not transparent, but it is very transparent." |
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