Official opening ceremony of ICANN’s 51st meeting took place in Los Angeles yesterday. Speaking at the ceremony, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker confirmed the intention of American government to transfer stewardship of the IANA funtions from US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to world Internet community. At the same time Pritzker highlighted that this was possible only if multistakeholder principles are observed in management of global network.
“Make no mistake: I stand by ICANN. I am all in when it comes to the global debate over Internet governance. And we will preserve and protect a free and open Internet”, said Penny Pritzker. “The United States will not allow the global Internet to be co-opted by any person, entity or nation seeking to substitute their parochial world view for the collective wisdom of this community.”
Commitment to the principles of multistakeholderism, transparency and accountability of ICANN to the global Internet community in the development of mechanisms of Internet management were confirmed in the speeches of corporation executives – ICANN Board Chair Stephen Crocker and President and CEO Fadi Chehadé.
Issues of Internet governance and transfer of control functions over IANA are among the key ones, discussed at the current ICANN meeting which brings together more than 2300 delegates.
