[AfrICANN-discuss] Dot gm redelegation support

[aacham at doscit.gov.gm]

Hi Anne,
It was nice meeting you in Geneva and extremely delighted that you have
accepted to help us in our redelegation drive. I am currently in Cairo and
will advise you as soon as I get back next week to start work on the
various documents. Meanwhile I would like to know exactly what to expect
from you and your colleagues.

Regards

Alhaji A Cham
Permanet Secretary
Min of Comm Info & IT
 . ,

>  ICANN's Positive Affirmation: Good News for Africa and Emerging
> Markets<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091008_icann_affirmation_good_news_for_africa_and_emerging_markets/>
>
>    - Oct 08, 2009 1:32 PM PDT
>    - Comments:
> 0<http://www.circleid.com/posts/print/20091008_icann_affirmation_good_news_for_africa_and_emerging_markets/#comments>
>    - Views: 227
>
> http://www.circleid.com/posts/print/20091008_icann_affirmation_good_news_for_africa_and_emerging_markets/
>
> <http://www.circleid.com/posts/print/20091008_icann_affirmation_good_news_for_africa_and_emerging_markets/>
> By *Andrew Mack* <http://www.circleid.com/members/4199/>
>
> Sometimes you get what you are asking for. And
> this<http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#affirmation>
> seems
> to be one of those occasions
 and the US government can give itself a pat
> on
> the back for having listened to other stakeholder opinions.
>
> For years the world of Internet governance has been seen as its own
> special
> corner of the technosphere, full of arcane acronyms and quiet power deals.
> Despite efforts to make ICANN and the broader Internet community more
> transparent and user-friendly, many observers, including many African
> governments, still saw the stage as too much of an insider's game—with the
> ultimate insider being the US Department of Commerce. However, with the
> announcement of new "Affirmation" between DOC and ICANN, it seems a new
> day
> is dawning, one full of what should be good news for Africa and emerging
> markets.
>
> Notwithstanding its strange name (what is an "Affirmation" after all, when
> you're talking about new policy?), there's a lot to like in the
> announcement
> for both businesses and governments in emerging markets smile. The
> Affirmation talks about the need to move forward with Internationalized
> Domain Names, a major focus of the Arabic-speaking northern tier of the
> continent. It re-emphasizes the crucial private sector role in running the
> net, something that should give confidence to African investors and
> company
> owners anxious to do more on line and keep the net open for business. It
> expands the reporting from ICANN, so that now key information from the
> organization will be open to governments around the world, not just the
> US,
> making the governance mechanisms accountable to all governments. And in
> some
> ways most stunningly, it gives those governments that do participate in
> ICANN a much meatier role, complete with actions and powers to influence
> policy—as opposed to the simple "advisory" powers in earlier agreements.
>
> Finally and perhaps most importantly in our minds, the Affirmation walks
> away from the very concept of a "report card", with short term objectives
> and a short term view. The Affirmation is an agreement in perpetuity, one
> that specifically addresses the concerns of the international community
> (notwithstanding the opt-out clause at the end, which seemed out of
> keeping
> with the intent and tone of the rest of the document). This is crucial
> because it is the long term stability and growth of the net—and both are
> key—that we are all after.
>
> Now the challenge is to us. For years emerging markets members of the
> Internet governance community have been urging ICANN and the US government
> to take steps, steps just like these. ICANN has signaled a real
> willingness
> to focus to the needs and issues of the next billion users, on IDNs, on
> stability and on more and better governance. One can only hope that
> African
> governments and private sector representatives alike will take up this new
> opportunity and engage more deeply than ever before. After all the net
> should belong to all, even Africa.
>
> *This post was co-authored by Vika
> Mpisane<http://www.circleid.com/members/4200/>,
> Chairman of AFTLD and General Manager of the .za Domain Name Authority
> and Andrew
> Mack <http://www.circleid.com/members/4199>, Principal of AMGlobal
> Consulting, a firm specializing in tech policy and partnerships in
> Emerging
> Markets.*
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>


A A Cham