The 42th ICANN Conference kicked off in Dakar (Senegal) and will last through 29 October. This conference is dedicated for one to the launch of the new top-level domains program (New gTLDs). This theme was the key one at the opening of the conference.
In his presentation at the official opening of the Conference Rod Beckstrom, ICANN President and CEO, articulated that the New gTLD Program was not only for the rich nations and businesses, but to, for developing countries and cultural and language communities in the first place. “Applicants for proper top-level domains from developing countries, non-governmental organizations, etc. may need technical or financial information or assistance and ICANN is taking steps to develop that support program,” – said he. “Support for needy applicants will help ensure that new top-level domains will be accessible for all, and we receive a diversity of the new gTLD applications. That program as well as IDN domains will contribute to the use of the Internet’s great potential by the developing countries making it possible for them to develop content in their national languages.”
Much attention was paid to the global role of ICANN today. Rod Beckstrom emphasized the ICANN's role in developing the Internet: “Our collective economic future will depend on maintaining a stable domain name system and ICANN advances our common goal of a secure, stable and unified global Internet.” ICANN's President recalled that ICANN was built on openness, inclusion, trust and in collaboration with all stakeholders and organizations. “As ever, these principles were required before the launch of the New gTLD Program, which demonstrated once again that the multistakeholder model was alive and working. Multistakeholder model of governance reflects the Internet technology,” – said he.
ICANN President also focused that ICANN strives to become truly independent international organization, which takes into account interests of all Internet users, be those governments, or multinationals, or main-street citizens worldwide. This approach is evidenced by the announcement at the onset of the Conference that American government would shortly put out the contract on IANA functions for a tender.
The conference will last through 29 October. It is attended by representatives of the Coordination Center of ccTLD RU/РФ, including Marina Nikerova, the CC’s Council Chairperson, Andrey Kolesnikov, the CC CEO and a member of gNSO ICANN Council, Irina Danelia, his first deputy, among others.
