On November 4, ICANN’s 66th conference started in Montreal, Canada. The conference has brought together 2,500 people from 130 countries, with even more remote participants. A delegation of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ is also in attendance.
The conference was opened by ICANN Board Chairman Cherine Chalaby. ICANN 66 will be his last conference in this capacity, as his term ends in a week. He will be succeeded by Maarten Botterman. In his speech, Cherine Chalaby talked about the work done over the past three years.
According to Chalaby, the ICANN strategic plan for 2021-2025, which is scheduled to be presented in December, and the development plan for the multistakeholder model, which considers the opinions of all interested parties, were the main successes in this period.
He said that the corporation had fulfilled all its tasks over the three years and continues to strengthen the stability and security of the system of internet unique identifiers. A new DNS root service governance system is being developed. ICANN organization is more streamlined, better organized and much more service-oriented. Operating expenses are firmly under control as a result of strong fiscal disciplines applied by the management. It gives us hope for the future,” Cherine Chalaby said, adding that this gives the corporation hope.
In his speech, Chalaby also noted that the coming years would be difficult for the entire internet community, because the number of cyberthreats will grow and the risk of internet fragmentation will be higher. In these conditions, ICANN must work on three key tasks: strengthening the multistakeholder model; ensuring the stability, security and reliability of the internet; and preserving its interoperability and technological unity.
In conclusion, Chalaby told the audience to work for the good of the internet, because it is useful for all humanity. He assured his colleagues on the board that they are ready for what lies ahead and reminded them that their work must be transparent. Chalaby said ICANN org’s role is to serve the community with objectivity and commitment to the principles of the corporation’s work. He also told the community that progress is not possible without change. Although mistakes are inevitable, they are proof that we are trying, he said, expressing confidence that we can trust each other.
ICANN 66 will finish on November 7. Experts of the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ will speak at the conference. Please follow our updates.
