[Chapter-delegates] ICANN Day1

[Franck Martin]

Today is the beginning of ICANN. I attended this morning the GAC meeting
workgroup (http://gac.icann.org) which reviews the policies for setting
new gTLDs (like .asia, .xxx). The GAC is concerned that the information
on people registering domain names is not verified. Today you need to
have an ID verification before being able to get a mobile phone, they
want a similar process with domain names registration. In general the
GAC is sensitive to Internet Security.

Another question in the GAC is how individual members can represent the
GAC to other meetings. Therefore the GAC has issues to have liaisons or
representatives at other constituencies meeting. In general governments
do not like to be represented by others.

Fiji, Niue and Tuvalu were present at the GAC meeting.

In the afternoon, I went to the APTLD meeting (http://www.aptld.org
<http://www.aptld.org/>). Several Pacific Islands were present, Samoa,
Tuvalu, Kiribati, Niue. The Pacific Islands made some interesting
presentations on the running of their ccTLD and the status of
communications. Apparently, Kiribati and Samoa are opening up their
markets. Kiribati has granted Internet Service providers licenses, while
Samoa has passed a new act in 2005 to bring telecommunication
competition. It is expected that by January 2007 a new International
telecommunication gateway will be set up.

Dot Asia did a presentation on the start of their operation. Their
company is in Hong Kong.

IANA, did a presentation of their operation and presented their new test
web site: http://test.icann.org/welcome.html. It is interesting to see
that no mention of ICANN is on the website, despite them being fully
funded by ICANN. IANA does the technical function of domain name
management, while ICANN is the decision making body, with policies and
juridic functions.

There was a presentation of Pacific Internet Partners (www.pip.org.nz
<http://www.pip.org.nz/>) which is funding people (Tokelau, Samoa, Niue,
Cook Islands) to attend PacINET, ICANN and PacNOG meetings.

On the grapewine, dot CA has withdrew its support to ICANN, while not
leaving the ICANN structure nor process. They have simply stop to
financially contribute to ICANN.

There will be a meeting with ISOC on Monday morning, all invited.

Well, this is about it.

-- 
Franck Martin
ICT Specialist
franck at sopac.org
SOPAC, Fiji
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