ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the not-for-profit entity responsible for the technical coordination of the Internet's domain name system (DNS). On September 30, 2009, NTIA, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce, reached agreement with ICANN on an Affirmation of Commitments that completed the transition of the technical coordination of the DNS to a multi-stakeholder, private-sector led model and contains provisions to ensure accountability and transparency in ICANN's decision-making with the goal of protecting the interests of global Internet users, as well as mechanisms to address the security stability, and resiliency of the Internet DNS.
NTIA represents the U.S. government in ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), which is structured to provide advice to the ICANN Board on the public policy aspects of the broad range of issues pending before ICANN.
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Rwanda Recap: U.S. Support for Multistakeholder Internet Governance at ICANN80
By: Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce & NTIA Administrator
The importance of the multistakeholder system of Internet governance was on full display last month in Kigali, Rwanda during the ICANN80 High Level Government Meeting (HLGM) and Policy Forum. I was delighted to lead the U.S. Delegation to the HLGM, participate in ICANN’s forum, and meet with leaders from around the world in support of that multistakeholder system.
The HLGM brought leaders together from a wide array of countries to discuss Internet governance and the crucial role that governments play in shaping policy for the Internet’s global Domain Name System. While governments are always represented at ICANN, the HLGM is designed to bring in Minister-level representatives from each country. In a way, the HLGM is an opportunity for Ministers to experience the multistakeholder system at work.