ICANN Meeting Melbourne 9-13 March 2001

ICANN was set up just over two years ago as an experiment in Net self-governance. It is a non-profit corporation that was formed to assume responsibility for the IP address space allocation, protocol parameter assignment, domain name system (DNS) management, and root server system management functions previously performed under U.S. Government contract by IANA and other entities. Essentially, the DNS is the Internet's phone book. ICANN sets the rules for assigning numbered IP addresses, assigning these numbers to plain word addresses and decides what new top level domains (TLDs) such as .com or .net can be created.

While fundamentally a technical body administering the DNS, domain name issues such as trademarks, country designations, free speech and commercial interest in new TLDs are also policy issues. ICANN is developing its independence from the American Government, but has not yet established its credentials as an genuinely autonomous, international governance body. Activists worldwide have called for greater democratic processes within ICANN and an acknowledgement that the policies adopted by ICANN have ramifications for non-commercial uses of the Internet.

EFA has been involved in the development of self-governance of the Australian Domain Name system through its election to the Board of the Australian Domain Name Administration Limited (auDA) and in submissions to policy panels and Government.

At the Yokohama meetings of ICANN in July 2000 , a number of attending Internet activists formed the Civil Society Internet Forum and issued a statement of principles for further activism within ICANN by CSIF. At the Melbourne meetings of ICANN , EFA will be hosting two meetings of CSIF and invites local and international activists attending the ICANN meetings to attend.

Hosted by the Civil Society Internet Forum and the Interim Coordinating Committee.

Sponsored by Electronic Frontiers Australia

Meetings at the Melbourne meeting of ICANN at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre

Friday, 9 March 2001, 4.30pm-9.30pm, MECC, Otway Room 2

CSIF first session: Internet Democracy and Global At Large Membership

Chair: Mr Kimberley Heitman (EFA)

Agenda

1. Welcome and introductions (Kimberley Heitman)
2. Amendments to agenda
3. gTLD issues (.union, .trademark etc.)
4. New Governance Models (Wolfgang Kleinwachter, ICANN Studienkreis, Germany)(CDT/Common Cause)
5. Report on ICC (Interim Coordinating Committee of Members-At-Large) (Jeanette Hoffman)
6. NAIS (NGO and Academic ICANN Study ) Stefaan Verhurst (NAIS Chair) (Rob Courtney, CDT)

   Coffee (6.30pm)

7. Consensus process for the At-Large Membership (David Johnson)
8. ICANN & Supporting Organisations (Paul Wilson - Director-General, APNIC)
9. Reports invited from At Large Board of Directors.
10. CSIF Resolutions for the Melbourne ICANN meetings.

Saturday, 10 March 2001, 6.30pm-9.30pm, MECC, Otway Room 2

CSIF second session: Civil Liberties

Chair: Professor Toshimaru Ogura (JCA-Net)

Agenda

1. Welcome and introductions (Toshimaru Ogura)
2. Amendments to the agenda
3. Civil Liberties Online
   (a) Privacy , Encryption, Wiretapping (Kim Heitman,EFA)(Andrew Shen,EPIC) Prof Ogura
   (b) Free Speech Censorship Filtering and Ratings (Kim Heitman, EFA) (Nobuo Sakiyama)(Andrew Shen,EPIC)
4. Digital Divide and Global Civil Society
   (a) A report of Asian situation of digital divide.(Izumi Aizu, Adam Peake (DOT Force))
   (b) Another report of Asian situation of digital divide.(Norbert Klein)
   (c) Reports from Latin America & Africa - Chris Bailey & others.(APC)
5. CSIF Resolutions for the Melbourne ICANN meetings

For further information contact Kimberley Heitman.