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<title>Agreement Marks Historic Step in the Internationalization of the
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<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><img id="_x0000_i1025"
src="http://www.vocus.com/images/pr/icannheader2_logo.jpg"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>FOR
RELEASE: </span></strong><span lang=EN-GB>Immediate </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>MEDIA
CONTACTS:</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB>Brad White<br>
Director of Media Affairs, ICANN<br>
Washington, D.C., USA<br>
Ph. +1 202.429.2710<a href="mailto:brad.white@icann.org"><br>
brad.white@icann.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:.5in'><span lang=EN-GB> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB>Anne-Rachel Inne<br>
ICANN Regional Manager for Africa<br>
Niger, Africa<br>
Ph. + 1 323 304 3420<a href="mailto:anne-rachel.inne@icann.org"><br>
anne-rachel.inne@icann.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:.5in'><span lang=EN-GB> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Agreement
Marks Historic Step in the </span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Internationalization
of the Internet</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> </span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Washington,
D.C… September 30, 2009… </span></strong>ICANN has signed an historic
Affirmation Agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce that confirms once
and for all, the effectiveness of the ICANN model of multi-stakeholder and
bottom-up governance of the global Internet addressing system. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“This new Affirmation marks a new exciting new stage in
ICANN’s development as a truly international entity and it confirms once and
for all, that the ICANN model of public participation works, and works
effectively” said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN Chief Executive Officer. “One world, one
Internet, everyone connected – this is our goal at ICANN. This agreement gives
international stakeholders an even more powerful voice in our activities moving
forward.”<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>More than a decade ago it was envisioned that the Internet’s
addressing system would be coordinated by a private, multi-stakeholder,
non-profit corporation, specifically ICANN. The rationale was it should not be
controlled by any single government, group of governments or special interests.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“The Internet is global and it is critical that its
governance reflects its international nature,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, a New
Zealander who serves as ICANN’s Chairman of the Board. “Now we can
clearly say that a new era of the Internationalization of the Internet has
begun.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Under the Affirmation agreement, the U.S. will remain
committed to participation in ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee, which is
one of the bodies that advises the corporation in its crucial mission of
assuring that the Internet addressing system remains functional and secure. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>“Many members of the International Internet community have
been hoping that an agreement just like this would succeed the Joint Project
Agreement between ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce government,” said
Anne-Rachel Inne, ICANN’s Regional Manager for Africa. “When you combine
this agreement with our Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) program it means
that the Internationalization of the Internet is now well underway.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>ICANN’s IDN program will allow the use of non-Latin based
language characters in the entire Internet domain name, which is expected to
vastly increase the number of Internet users in global regions such as the
Middle East and Asia. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>To read the Joint Affirmation Agreement go here:<br>
<a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#affirmation">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#affirmation</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>To read the reactions of various business and government
leaders go here: <a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#reaction">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#reaction</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>To see a videotaped interview with CEO Rod Beckstrom
discussing the new Affirmation Agreement go here: <a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#video">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#video</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>To learn more about ICANN’s Internationalized Domain Name
program, go here: <a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/factsheet-idn-program-05jun09.pdf">http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/factsheet-idn-program-05jun09.pdf</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:8.0pt;color:black'>About ICANN:</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;color:black'>To
reach another person on the Internet you have to type a domain name or IP
address into your computer. It has to be has to be unique so computers know
where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the
world. Without that coordination we wouldn't have one global Internet. ICANN
was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with
participants from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure,
stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the
Internet’s unique identifiers. ICANN doesn’t control content on the Internet.
It cannot stop spam and it doesn’t deal with access to the Internet. But
through its coordination role of the Internet’s naming system, it does have an
important impact on the expansion and evolution of the Internet.<strong><span
style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> For more information please visit:</span></strong><span
class=apple-converted-space><b> </b></span></span><span lang=EN-GB><a
href="http://www.icann.org/"><strong><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"'>www.icann.org</span></strong></a></span><strong><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black'>.</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></div>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span lang=FR style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>DESTINE
A UNE PUBLICATION</span></strong><strong><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"'>
</span></strong><span lang=FR>immédiate</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span lang=FR style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Coordonnées
médias :</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Brad White</span><span lang=EN-GB><br>
</span><span lang=FR>Directeur des affaires médiatiques, ICANN</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Washington D.C., Etats-Unis</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Tél. :</span><span lang=EN-GB> +1
202.429.2710</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR><a href="mailto:brad.white@icann.org">brad.white@icann.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:.5in'><span lang=EN-GB> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=DE>Anne-Rachel Inne</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=DE>Directeur régional de l'ICANN pour Afrique</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=DE>Niger, Afrique</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=DE>Tél. :</span><span lang=EN-GB> + 1 323
304 3420</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=DE><a href="mailto:anne-rachel.inne@icann.org">anne-rachel.inne@icann.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.5in;text-indent:.5in'><span lang=EN-GB> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span
lang=FR style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Un accord
marque une étape historique dans </span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span
lang=FR style='font-size:20.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>l'internationalisation
d'Internet</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span
lang=EN-GB style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> </span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><span lang=FR style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Washington,
D.C… 30 septembre 2009… </span></strong><span lang=FR>L'ICANN vient
de signer un accord de confirmation historique avec le Département du commerce
des Etats-Unis qui réaffirme, une fois pour toutes, l'efficacité du modèle
multipartite international de l'ICANN et de la gouvernance ascendante du
système d'adressage d'Internet.</span><span lang=FR> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>"Cette nouvelle affirmation marque une
nouvelle étape passionnante dans le développement de l'ICANN comme entité
véritablement internationale et confirme, encore une fois, que le modèle ICANN
de participation publique fonctionne et qu'il est efficace", ajoute Rod
Beckstrom, Président directeur général de l'ICANN. "<strong><span
style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Un seul monde, un seul Internet, le
monde entier connecté – tel est l'objectif de l'ICANN. Cet accord donne aux
parties prenantes du monde entier un poids encore plus fort dans l'avancement
de nos activités."</span></strong></span><b><br>
</b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Plus de dix ans en arrière, on imaginait que
le système d'adressage d'Internet serait coordonné par une organisation privée,
multipartite et à but non lucratif et notamment par l'ICANN. Les raisons
avancées étaient que ce système ne devrait pas être contrôlé par un unique
gouvernement ou par un groupe de gouvernements ou d'intérêts spécifiques.</span><span
lang=FR> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>"Internet est un phénomène mondial et sa
gouvernance peut difficilement refléter sa nature internationale", déclare
Peter Dengate Thrush, un membre néo-zélandais du Conseil d'administration de
l'ICANN. "Nous pouvons maintenant affirmer clairement qu'une nouvelle ère
de la mondialisation d'Internet vient de commencé."</span><span lang=FR> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>L'accord de confirmation stipule que les
Etats-Unis resteront engagés dans la participation au Comité consultatif
gouvernemental de l'ICANN, qui est l'un des organismes chargés de conseiller
l'organisation dans la lourde mission consistant à veiller à la sécurité et au
bon fonctionnement du système d'adressage d'Internet.</span><span lang=FR> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>"De nombreux membres de la communauté
Internet internationale espèrent depuis quelque temps qu'un accord comme
celui-ci entraînera un projet d'accord conjoint entre l'ICANN et le Département
du commerce des Etats-Unis", a déclaré Anne-Rachel Inne, Directeur
régional de l'ICANN pour Afrique. "Lorsque vous associez cet accord à
votre programme IDN (noms de domaine internationalisé), vous pouvez constater
que l'internationalisaton d'Internet est désormais bien en cours".</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Le programme IDN de l'ICANN permettra
d'utiliser des caractères non latins dans l'ensemble des noms de domaine
Internet, ce qui devrait permettre d'augmenter considérablement le nombre
d'utilisateurs Internet dans des régions du monde telles que le Moyen-Orient ou
l'Asie.</span><span lang=FR> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Pour lire l'accord de confirmation conjoint,
rendez-vous ici :<br>
<a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#affirmation">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#affirmation</a>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Pour lire les réactions de différents
dirigeants d'entreprises ou de chefs de gouvernement rendez-vous ici : </span><a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#reaction">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#reaction</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Pour consulter une interview doublée du PDG
Rod Beckstrom sur le nouvel accord de confirmation, rendez-vous ici : </span><a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#video">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htm#video</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR>Pour plus d'informations sur le programme IDN
(noms de domaine internationalisés) de l'ICANN, consultez la page : <a
href="http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/factsheet-idn-program-05jun09.pdf">http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/factsheet-idn-program-05jun09.pdf</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><strong><span lang=FR
style='font-size:8.0pt;color:black'>A propos de l’ICANN :</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:8.0pt;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR style='font-size:8.0pt;color:black'>Pour
contacter une personne sur Internet, vous devez entrer un nom de domaine ou une
adresse IP dans votre ordinateur. Cette adresse doit être unique pour permettre
aux ordinateurs de s'identifier entre eux. L'ICANN coordonne ces identifiants
uniques à l'échelle internationale. Sans cette coordination, nous n'aurions pas
le réseau Internet mondial unique que nous connaissons. L'ICANN a été créée
en 1998 et rassemble, au sein d'une organisation à but non lucratif et
reconnue d'utilité publique, des participants du monde entier qui œuvrent à la
préservation de la sécurité, de la stabilité et de l'interopérabilité d'Internet.
Elle encourage la concurrence et développe des politiques d'identifiants
Internet uniques. L'ICANN ne contrôle pas le contenu publié sur Internet. Elle
ne peut mettre fin au spam et ne gère aucunement l'accès à Internet. Mais de
par le rôle de coordination qu'elle joue au sein du système d'affectation de
noms d'Internet, elle exerce une influence non négligeable sur le développement
et l'évolution d'Internet.<strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>
Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site :</span></strong><span
class=apple-converted-space><b> </b></span></span><span lang=FR><a
href="http://www.icann.org/"><strong><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif"'>www.icann.org</span></strong></a></span><strong><span
lang=FR style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>.</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
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color:black'>If you would rather not receive future communications from ICANN,
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ICANN, 4676 Admiralty Way Suite 330, Marina del Rey, CA 90292 United States<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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