<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri,sans-serif">D</font>ear all,</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">ICANN has published a press release on its increased presence and participation initiative in Africa:</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><a href="http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-16oct12-en.pdf">http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-16oct12-en.pdf</a> </div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div><p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; min-height: 14px; "><br></p>
<p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; "><span style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </span><b><i>16 October 2012 </i></b></p>
<p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; "><b><i><br></i></b></p><p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; "><b><i>For Immediate Release </i></b></p>
<p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Arial; "><b><br></b></p><p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 18px/normal Arial; "><b>Initiative Unveiled to Increase ICANN’s Presence and </b><b>Participation across Africa </b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; "><b><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Calibri">Plan Receives Enthusiastic Support of CEO and Board Chair </font></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><b><i><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></i></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><b><i>Toronto, Canada… </i></b>Leaders of Africa’s Internet community have unveiled a comprehensive plan designed to dramatically increase African involvement in ICANN’s multi-stakeholder model. </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">The initiative was presented to ICANN during the organization’s 45<span style="font: 7.0px Arial">th </span>public meeting in Toronto, Canada by the Africa Strategy Working Group (ASWG). It was formed after ICANN’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, Fadi Chehadé encouraged a stronger voice from the African continent in ICANN’s multi-stakeholder model. </font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">“When we met three months ago at the ICANN meeting in Prague, I felt a sense of frustration at our inability to come together and move the Africa agenda forward,” said Chehadé. “It’s incredible what this working group has achieved in such a short period of time by engaging with many concerned groups and individuals through the multi-stakeholder process.” </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">“We employed a bottom-up, open and public process in developing this initiative,” said Nii Quaynor of Ghana, a well-respected Internet leader in Africa and Chair of the ASWG. “We think this plan will lead to dramatically increased African participation in ICANN and greater presence for the organization on the African continent.” </font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">The plan was written with the input and broad support of ICANN’s African community, Africa's Regional Registry for Internet Number Resources (AFRINIC) and other influential African organizations involved in the Internet ecosystem. </font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">“We are taking a new approach to Africa,” said Tarek Kamel, a Senior Advisor to the ICANN President. “This plan is based on capacity building, business development, specifically developing the Domain Name System (DNS) business in Africa and insuring inclusion.” </font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">The three year initiative, entitled <i>ICANN's New Approach to Africa, </i>lays out clear goals and milestones and an action plan for the first 12 months. It is a collaborative effort by AFRINIC, Africa's Regional Registry for Internet Number Resources and the ICANN community. The initiative will now be posted for public comment.</font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Currently, African internet users represent only 6 per cent of Internet users worldwide. This initiative is designed to dramatically increase that number. </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">To review the presentation of <i>ICANN's New Approach to Africa</i>, go here: http://toronto45.icann.org/meetings/toronto2012/presentation-aswg-icann-africa-strategy-v1.1-16oct12-en.pdf. </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">To download high resolution photos during the unveiling of the Africa Initiative, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/icann/sets/72157631779093929/ . </font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><b><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">MEDIA CONTACTS: </font></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri"><br></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Brad White </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Director of Global Media Affairs </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Washington, DC, USA </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Tel. +1 202.570.7118 </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">brad.white@icann.org </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Andrew Robertson </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Edelman Public Relations </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">London, U.K. </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">Tel. + 44 (7811) 341 945 </font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="Calibri">andrew.Robertson@edelman.com </font></p></div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Regards,</div><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">Vika Mpisane | Tel: +27 11 314 0077</div><div style="font-size: 14px; ">ZADNA</div><div style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Consolas,monospace"><br></font></div><div style="font-size: 14px; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Consolas,monospace"><br></font></div></div></body></html>