The ICANN-45 International meeting of the ICANN Global Community in Toronto, Canada provided an opportunity for the unveiling of the initial draft of the ICANN Africa Strategy, an episode that will always be remembered as a landmark moment which signaled the official commencement of ICANN's new approach to Africa. Indeed, a new chapter has started regarding how ICANN will relate henceforth to Africa.
The ICANN Africa Strategy will increase Africa's visibility in ICANN, and in turn, also project ICANN's visibility in Africa. Its implementation should lead to the mainstreaming of the principal issues of concern to Africa in ICANN's discourse.
It is therefore important that the ICANN Africa Strategy is not misrepresented in terms of its overall goals, and the type of strategic impact it is supposed to engender in the short to medium term.
However, just a few days after ICANN's meeting in Toronto, the Africa Strategy is now being spun by some pundits and self-styled Africa watchers into what it is not, thereby creating some general misconceptions. I believe that such mischaracterizations of the ICANN Africa Strategy could create widespread confusion and actually precipitate its failure. Such a ridiculous fiasco resulting as an unintended consequence must be avoided at all cost. It is therefore necessary at this early stage to set the records straight about what the ICANN Africa Strategy is not.
1. The "ICANN Africa Strategy" is different from the "African Agenda"
The Africa Agenda is a failed tactic that was employed by a group of so-called 'African Internet Experts' to impose their agenda on ICANN using the political and diplomatic machinery of the African Union Commission, whilst exploiting the auspices of the African Ministerial Round-Table that met in Dakar, Senegal in October 2011 during ICANN-42. It was essentially the work of chicanery that failed. Twelve (12-points) were outlined as an 'African Agenda' that had presumably received the blessings of an African Ministerial Round-Table and submitted to ICANN leaders in Dakar; with the hope that ICANN would approve the imperious demands that were contained in the 'African Agenda' as a fait accompli. One of the most impossible demands contained in the African Agenda was for ICANN to give special treatment to the African Union, and reserve the .Africa (DotAfrica) name and its representations in any other language in the List of Top-Level Domain names; with the added proviso that the African Union would then delegate the .Africa gTLD to a structure that it hoped to identify and select. It was a very ridiculous demand, against the backdrop that the Top-Level Names in the Reserved List (for example, AfriNIC, www, http, etc.) were already specified in the approved version of the new gTLD Applicant's Guidebook, and any extra-ordinary proposition to include .Africa in the List, would have required an amendment to the new gTLD Applicant's Guidebook.
The inchoate plan was therefore defeated in Dakar, and with it, the African Agenda. In ICANN's official response to the AUC and the African Ministerial Round-Table that came in March 2012, it was recommended to the AUC to use both GAC Early Warning Advice and Community Objection to influence the outcome of the .Africa new gTLD application process.
ICANN's response therefore made it clear that the only route to the delegation of .Africa gTLD was through the new gTLD program and not through the imperious imposition of an African Agenda. It must be emphasized that the Africa Agenda was not consensus-driven, lacked multi-stakeholder input and was never approved by ICANN. The Africa Agenda actually failed at Dakar.
2. The "ICANN African Strategy" is not related to the new gTLD Program
The ICANN African Strategy has nothing to do with the .Africa new gTLD. The objectives of the ICANN new gTLD program are quite clear as a global, fairly structured, rule-based, policy-driven, transparent and competitive process under which new gTLDs will emerge, with a view to expanding the Internet. The Africa Strategy on the other hand is simply a strategic planning process with multi-stakeholder inputs that is expected to guide ICANN's engagement with Africa during the implementation period of the ICANN Strategic Plan from July 2013 to June 2016. Therefore, any viewpoint that contrives to indicate that the ICANN African Strategy is somehow connected to .Africa gTLD or to ICANN's new gTLD program is completely fallacious, and should be debunked as incorrect and misleading.
As a matter of fact, during the comments collection process, the draft Assessment report assembled by the ASWG had contained a reference to .Africa new gTLD, based on some submission that was made by a respondent, but this was seen as irrelevant, out-of-context and removed.
3. An AUC-endorsed DotAfrica Application has nothing to with the Africa Strategy
A recent blog posting written by Andrew Mack, a self-styled Africa watcher, had tried to suggest that the DotAfrica application somehow has something to do with the ICANN Africa Strategy. In his article he stated inter alia: "You could also see it in the tremendous enthusiasm for the AUC-endorsed dotAfrica (.africa) application, which has become a real a (sic) focal point of an emerging "African Agenda". Again, this is a very wrong assertion which is very misleading. Andrew Mack's confusion is rather palpable, by mixing-up the new ICANN Africa Strategy with the previously failed African Agenda.
The point has already been made that the "African Agenda" aimed to take the DotAfrica new gTLD outside the oversight of ICANN's new gTLD program under an opaque plan that would have enabled the African Union Commission (with the 'guidance' of its Task Force on DotAfrica) to separately delegate the .Africa gTLD to a structure that it had identified and selected based on a flawed 'special treatment process'. Andrew Mack's recent posting was therefore in grave error by assuming that the AUC-endorsed dotAfrica (.africa) application has become the focal point of an emerging "Africa Agenda". The African Agenda was generally seen as an illegitimate, stage-managed scheme which never received any approval from ICANN. The AUC had wanted to enjoy certain special legislative protections under the African agenda, but this was denied by ICANN.
Finally, it is important to clarify that the AUC is not part of the ICANN Africa Strategy. In truth, the AUC had tried to endorse a DotAfrica (.Africa) Community TLD application for the African Community, but the appointed applicant — UniForum did not submit any application on behalf of the African Community, and did not even acknowledge any 'African Community' in its application for .Africa.
Therefore the notion of an AUC-endorsed DotAfrica application remains nebulous and ill-defined. Following the revelation that the .Africa application by UniForum did not truthfully adhere to the terms of the purported AUC-endorsement that it had received; to wit, that of applying on behalf of the African Community, Mr. Neil Duncan Dundas had made an open admission on the AfrICANN Forum that he expects the AU, the African Internet Community and ICANN to hold UniForum accountable for its misleading application.
Therefore, until full accountability at the time of final reckoning, it is a rather fantastic notion for Andrew Mack or anybody for that matter to even remotely suggest that an AUC-endorsed dotAfrica (.africa) application, is becoming the focal point of an emerging "African Agenda".
Send kictanet mailing list submissions to
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
kictanet-request@lists.kictanet.or.ke
You can reach the person managing the list at
kictanet-owner@lists.kictanet.or.ke
When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of kictanet digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. Africa at ICANN - Continent on the Move (Alice Munyua)
2. Toronto: DCA's Contribution to ICANN Africa Strategy and the
Multi-Stakeholder Model (Gideon)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:36:03 +0300
From: Alice Munyua <alice@apc.org>
To: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: [kictanet] Africa at ICANN - Continent on the Move
Message-ID: <5086E393.6050003@apc.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
Africa at ICANN - Continent on the Move
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121023_africa_at_icann_continent_on_the_move/>
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121023_africa_at_icann_continent_on_the_move/
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121023_africa_at_icann_continent_on_the_move/#add_comment>
By *Andrew Mack* <http://www.circleid.com/members/4199/>
There was one obvious take-away from this week's ICANN meetings in
Toronto, and for once it was less about policy and more about geography.
Simply put, Africa is really --- finally --- coming together at ICANN,
with a new energy, new unity and lots of new participation from African
participants. And from top to bottom, the ICANN community seems to be
taking notice.
The evidence was everywhere... You could see it in the large number of
African participants from all over the continent, and in active African
engagement in the GAC. You could see it in the statements from the ICANN
CEO, Board Chair and constituency leaders who came to the release of the
new Africa strategy and praised both the strategy and the strategy
process --- inclusive, fast-moving and importantly, driven by African
stakeholders at ICANN, not imposed from above. You could also see it in
the tremendous enthusiasm for the AUC-endorsed dotAfrica (.africa)
application, which has become a real a focal point of an emerging
"African Agenda".
Of course, the hard work is yet to be done.
All sides need to follow through to turn the strategy into real impact,
to make sure that ongoing outreach becomes a reality, not just happy
talk. We need to make sure the .Africa application --- which has support
from more than 40 countries (and counting) isn't slowed down by the new
batching process or any other noise. Nobody in the end was in favor of
digital archery, but the system did have one thing right --- a
preference for geographic, community and IDN names. Prioritizing Latin
American and African applications makes sense given the history of
"outreach", the small number of applications from these regions and the
reality of the internet's growth. We believe a new "draw" system without
a focus on underserved regions would send the wrong signal to the
international internet community. It wouldn't do justice to the good
work already initiated with support from the CEO, and in the end, it
would be bad for ICANN.
As a long time Africa watcher at ICANN, I saw much to celebrate in
Toronto. And I'd like to especially compliment new CEO Fadi Chehad? for
creating the space for (and what seems like genuine interest in) the
needs of the continent that has been underserved for so long. But while
words are important, we're just getting started. Africa is showing that
it is serious about playing a real, sustained role at ICANN. Hopefully,
ICANN is serious as well.
*By Andrew Mack <http://www.circleid.com/members/4199/>, Principal at
AMGlobal Consulting*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20121023/ac8599d2/attachment-0001.html>
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:44:13 +0300
From: Gideon <gideonrop@gmail.com>
To: kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Subject: [kictanet] Toronto: DCA's Contribution to ICANN Africa
Strategy and the Multi-Stakeholder Model
Message-ID:
<CAP2ohHE8CCCZg-YH3kAuemzdKJZzaBeJjQTgibLAR_2w79p5=Q@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
*Toronto: DCA's Contribution to ICANN
Africa<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121022_comments_by_dca_trust_on_the_icann_multi_stakeholder_model_africa/>
Strategy and
the Multi-Stakeholder
Model<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121022_comments_by_dca_trust_on_the_icann_multi_stakeholder_model_africa/>
*
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121022_comments_by_dca_trust_on_the_icann_multi_stakeholder_model_africa/
**
*This is a complete unabridged version of the document by Ms. Sophia
Bekele, Executive Director, DotConnectAfrica, titled: "General Comment on
the ICANN Multi-Stakeholder Model & DCA's Contribution to the ICANN Africa
Strategy". A shorter version was read out at the ICANN's Public Forum
Meeting on Thursday, October 18, 2012 due to constraint of time.*
* * *My name is Sophia Bekele, I am Executive Director, DotConnectAfrica.
DCA Trust has been participating in the ICANN Global Community and
attending the ICANN International Meetings regularly and actively within
the past few years. DCA Trust is also a new gTLD applicant, and has
submitted an application for the .Africa generic Top-Level Domain.
This *ICANN-45 Meeting in Toronto has provided a landmark opportunity for
the presentation of the initial draft of the ICANN Africa Strategy*. We are
thankful for the increased attention that is now being given to Africa, in
order to put it more firmly on the ICANN Global Map.
ICANN thrives on its multi-stakeholder, transparent and consensus-based
approach to policy development and implementation. *Meanwhile, the same
multi-stakeholder approach is often criticized, but the critics of this
model are unable to devise an alternative approach that could effectively
replace the multi-stakeholder model*, and serve the global public interest
on issues of Global Internet Governance. A global Internet requires that
different stake-holders participate in its governance, and that a proper
forum is provided for any interested party to participate ensure that such
voices are heard. At the very minimum, the debate will be enriched based on
democratic principles. *DCA will continue to support the multi-stakeholder
concept, without needing to over-emphasize that in the absence of the
multi-stakeholder model, DCA Trust, as a private, non-profit, non-partisan,
independent organization will not have the opportunity to be heard in
matters of Global Internet Governance and as an active participant in the
global ICANN Community*.
At the ICANN-44 Prague meeting, DCA Trust had been concerned that a
preliminary meeting was held between some ICANN officials and certain
group(s) of the African constituency at ICANN. DCA Trust was not invited to
that meeting, for which reason we demonstrated our grievance by writing a
letter to ICANN to protest our exclusion. *It later transpired that the
meeting was to lay the initial framework for commencing the ICANN Africa
Strategy, and we interpreted our apparent exclusion from participating in
that meeting as a prelude to our non-involvement in the process of the
ICANN Africa Strategy ? both in formulation and implementation*. We
complained again based on multi-stakeholder principles. We strongly believe
that all those participating as recognized constituents of the African
Community at ICANN should be involved in any ICANN Africa Strategy. Even
whilst maintaining that our initial complaints were valid, we also believe
that all that is now in the past and that DCA Trust was able to make its
point.
Accordingly, in moving forward towards future and positive cooperative
endeavors, *we are thankful to Mr. Tarek Kamel, the Senior Adviser to the
ICANN President & CEO, who also has the primary responsibility for leading
the formulation and implementation of the ICANN Africa Strategy*. Mr. Kamel
has been gracious enough to meet with DCA Trust here in Toronto and discuss
the framework under which DCA Trust will participate in the ICANN Africa
Strategy. To this end, DCA Trust is pleased to announce that it has
developed a new initiative ? the Internet Business Council for Africa
(IBCA) ? that is aimed at increasing the African private sector
participation at ICANN; to be implemented as a component part of the ICANN
Africa Strategy.
*The principal objective of this initiative is to help promote and increase
the multi-stakeholder diversity at ICANN in line with the broader strategic
objectives of the ICANN Strategic Plan* covering the three-year period that
spans July 2013 to June 2016. We envision that the inclusion and early
adoption of the proposed IBCA initiative as a key component of the ICANN
Africa Strategy will strengthen ICANN's multi-stakeholder model; as the
organization increases the visibility of its work and overall
outreach/communication activities in Africa, and DCA Trust is proud to
propose this as a strategic input that would enable it achieve further
levels of cooperation with ICANN in the implementation of its Strategic
Plan. The private sector is seen as the key driver of socio-economic
transformation and enabler of economic growth in an emerging Africa,
therefore, any initiative that attempts to increase the participation of
this important business and non-governmental constituency in Global
Internet Governance will no doubt strengthen the multi-stakeholder work of
ICANN. DCA Trust has already submitted a copy of the IBCA proposal to ICANN
through Mr. Tarek Kamel, and will also avail copies to the ICANN leaders.
In closing, *DCA Trust is thankful for the opportunity afforded by this
ICANN-45 Public Forum in Toronto to share its proposed IBCA initiative*.
By DotConnectAfrica
**
* *
* [image: DotConnectAfrica] <http://www.circleid.com/members/6624/>*
DCA is a not-for-profit, non-partisan org incorporated in Mauritius Africa
and will sponsor, establish and operate a TLD registry with global
recognition and regional significance dedicated to the needs of Pan-African
& African constituency. (Learn More <http://www.circleid.com/members/6624/>)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/pipermail/kictanet/attachments/20121024/e3fab7c2/attachment-0001.html>
------------------------------
Subject: Digest Footer
_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
------------------------------
End of kictanet Digest, Vol 65, Issue 119
*****************************************