ICANN's role in Internet governance under threat, warns CEO

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 28 September 2011 14:23

IT Industry - Strategy

Rod Beckstrom, CEO and president of ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has called on the world community to speak up in defence of "the multi-stakeholder model that has served as the 'catalyst for the Internet," and which ICANN embodies.
 

"The multi-stakeholder model is the catalyst for the Internet itself. By protecting that catalyst, we protect the Internet," he said. "ICANN is an example of the multi-stakeholder model at its best: open, inclusive, balanced, effective and international."

ICANN says it "works to ensure a secure, stable and unified global Internet'¦based on the multi-stakeholder concept, which allows everyone with an interest in the Internet to participate in its work."

But Beckstrom warns: "We need to make continued progress. Otherwise a small number of stakeholders who do not represent the global public interest could step into the breach. This could stifle the voices of those whose contributions have led to the unified and open Internet that the world enjoys today."

Specifically he called on the world community to express its views on renewal of the IANA functions contract, which ICANN performs in conjunction with the US Department of Commerce. "The IANA contract is the next critical step in the evolution of the multi-stakeholder model, and the best vehicle for its expansion," he said.

 "Many parties around the world now seek clear progress on the structure of the contract. The credibility of the multi-stakeholder model will be judged by how well this evolution occurs."

Beckstrom said it was essential that the IANA functions contract, which expires on 31 March 2012, remains an instrument for international participation in charting the future of the Internet."

Beckstrom was addressing the United Nations Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi and is visiting many countries over the next several weeks to raise global awareness of new generic top-level domains, the program approved in June that will allow the use of virtually any word in any language to be used as a top level domain name.

Beckstrom's warnings are the latest phase in a long-running battle over the Internet's future - see page 2.