[Chapter-delegates] Internet Society Announces New Program of Strategic Global Engagement

[Mark Thalhimer]

Internet Society Announces New Program of Strategic Global Engagement
*Former Canadian diplomat, Bill Graham, to spearhead effort*


RESTON, VA, USA AND GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 13 February 2008 - The Internet
Society (ISOC) announces new strategic efforts to engage global policy
makers on critical issues related to Internet policy.

Bill Graham, formerly an official with the Canadian government, with
extensive international experience in Internet policy and global
telecommunications and technology issues, will lead the Internet Society's
effort.

The Internet Society is widely recognized as a trusted partner of many
important organizations including the OECD, the ITU, UNESCO and others.

"With this new program of Strategic Global Engagement, the Internet Society
seeks to develop strategic positions on key Internet issues and to engage
the highest level of global policy makers on those emerging issues," says
Lynn St. Amour, ISOC President and CEO.

The Internet Society has long held a unique leadership position on
Internet-related technical, operations and standards issues as the
organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the
global Internet standards body.

In addition, the Internet Society has deep roots in the global Internet
community through its more than 90 chapters worldwide with over 28,000
individual members, and its relationship with more than 90 organizational
members.

"Our goal is to bridge our unique knowledge of Internet standards and
operations with the global needs of policymakers," says Lynn St. Amour.
"Bill Graham's global policy experience will help us inform policy makers
about the vital implications of ongoing policy decisions for the continued
development of the Internet."

Bill Graham joined the staff of the Internet Society in December of 2007.
Previously, he was Director, International Telecommunications Policy and
Coordination in the Canadian federal government department of Industry,
where he was responsible for coordinating Canadian participation in
multilateral organizations, including the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU), APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group, the
Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL), ICANN Governmental
Advisory Council, and for bilateral relations on telecommunications policy
issues for Canada. 

In addition, he was substantively in charge of Canada's participation in the
UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), served as Vice-Chair of
the ICANN GAC, and as a member of the Advisory Group to the UN Secretary
General on convening the Internet Governance Forum.


About the Internet Society
The Internet Society (www.isoc.org) is a nonprofit organization founded in
1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and
policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland, it is
dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the
Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.

For further details
Mark Thalhimer
Director of Communications and Public Relations, Internet Society
E-mail: thalhimer at isoc.org
Telephone: +1 703 326 9880 x130
1775 Wiehle Avenue
Reston, VA 20190-5108
USA
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