Public Interest Groups to Discuss Controversial Plans to Add
New Domains at San Francisco ICANN Meeting Pre-Event
craigslist Founder Craig Newmark to Keynote Internet Policy Conference
(San
Francisco) ICANN’s Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) is pleased to host a policy
conference “NCUC@ICANN: Internet Governance and the Global
Public Interest”on Friday 11 March 2011 at the Westin St.
Francis Hotel at Union Square in San Francisco.
The all-day civil society policy conference will be held
immediately before the 40th International ICANN
Meeting takes place at the same historic hotel in San Francisco
over the next week. NCUC’s conference is targeted at
international Internet governance participants, as well as Bay Area
law and policy experts, digital rights activists and other civil
society actors concerned with Internet governance policies.
“NCUC@ICANN: Internet Governance and the Global Public
Interest” will explore a number of Internet policy
issues in which NCUC is engaged, including panel discussions on
censorship, privacy, intellectual property rights and domain name
take-downs. Panelists will examine the appropriate role for
national governments vis-à-vis other stakeholders in Internet
governance. The conference will also consider ICANN’s
ability to address the concerns of developing countries and serve the
global public interest.
Internet entrepreneur Craig Newmark, founder of the popular website
craigslist.org will deliver a
keynote address at the conference during lunch. For many years,
he has been a vocal advocate of free expression on the Internet, and a
strong supporter of many nonprofits that work, online and offline, to
serve and unite people worldwide.
“ICANN's work in the area of Internet freedom is vital to the
future of all enterprises online, and I'm pleased to be a part of this
important program,” said Newmark.
ICANN Chairman of the Board of Directors Peter Dengate Thrush will
deliver the closing remarks at the NCUC policy conference. Former
ICANN Board Member Karl Auerbach will lead a discussion on the
emerging issue of an independent compatible domain name system and the
challenges and opportunities such services provide for Internet users.
The conference is free and open to the public, but advance registration
is required to attend. NCUC plans to webcast the policy
conference and provide online remote participation for those who
cannot attend in person on 11 March in San Francisco.
The
conference host, NCUC, represents more than 200 non-commercial
organizations and individuals engaged in Internet policymaking within
ICANN’s Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG).
NCUC’s membership includes educational institutions, human
rights groups, religious institutions, development-oriented nonprofit
organizations, consumer groups, individuals and other non-commercial participants.
For more information on the NCUC conference, including a detailed
discussion agenda, speaker list and online registration,
visit the website or
email conference organizer Robin Gross Robin@IPJustice.org.
NCUC@ICANN Conference Website: http://www.tinyurl.com/NCUC-SF
Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) Website: http://ncdnhc.org/
ICANN’s 40th International Meeting
Website: http://svsf40.icann.org/
