The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) wants to engage Africa in its activities and has called for African input on establishing a regional presence.
Making the announcement at the Highway Africa 2004 media conference in Grahamstown yesterday, ICANN president and CEO Paul Twomey said ICANN wanted African input on identifying "appropriate modes and locations on the African continent for an ICANN regional presence".
He said an African office would be ICANN`s first regional presence in the developing world and only the second outside North America.
"We don`t want to come to Africa and say 'here`s the model we`re imposing`," said Twomey. "The international Internet community is looking for African involvement. We are seeking to ensure Africa`s information and communications technology will be aligned with - and integral to - Internet growth and development."
ICANN added that it is evaluating the African Network Information Centre`s (AfriNIC`s) application to become a regional Internet registry, and an announcement would be made in this regard soon.
ICANN board member Mouhamet Diop of Senegal noted at yesterday`s media conference: "Africa is now being served by foreign institutions. With the coming of AfriNIC, a missing link will be filled."
ICANN has called on interested parties to make submissions to regional-offices@icann.org. An archive of comments will be available at http://forum.icann.org/lists/regional-offices/.
ICANN is hoping to receive all submissions ahead of its AGM, to be staged in Cape Town in the first week of December.
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