[Npoc-discuss] Candidate Statement for NPOC Policy Coordinator - Emmanuel Vitus

[Emmanuel Vitus]

Name: Emmanuel Vitus

Declared region of residence: Lyon, France (Europe)

Gender: Male

Employment: Executive Director of AW Free Foundation

Any conflicts of interest: None

Reasons for willingness to take on the position:

I am honored to be nominated for a second term as Policy Coordinator for 
NPOC, reflecting on a transformative first year in this leadership role. 
Our voice on policy matters, long unheard, has finally resonated across 
key initiatives such as the IDNs EPDP Phases I and II, the New gTLD 
Subsequent Procedures Working Group, the Transfer Policy Review IRT, and 
the SubPro IRT, along with the Council Committee for Overseeing and 
Implementing Continuous Improvement (CCOICI). We've led the drafting of 
four public comments and are actively engaged in the Review of the Draft 
Registry Service Provider (RSP) Handbook, as well as deliberations on 
Public Interest Commitments (PICs) and Registry Voluntary Commitments 
(RVCs).

In less than a year, our policy efforts have proven highly effective. 
Building on the promise from my initial campaign to streamline our 
policy activities and enhance mentorship--promises which we have 
fulfilled - the results are clear and compelling. Now, I seek your 
continued trust to advance this momentum into a second term, aiming to 
pass on a vibrant legacy to future leadership, ready and capable of 
driving our mission forward. One term has laid the groundwork; however, 
it is not sufficient to fully enact our vision for a robust policy 
framework--this first term was about firefighting. Now, I ask for your 
vote to help establish a strong policy committee that can significantly 
influence ongoing policy developments, particularly the forthcoming 
round of New gTLD applications, ensuring our members are well-prepared 
to participate.

Committed to fostering a dynamic environment of engagement, I am eager 
to mentor new and existing members who share our vision: reduce 
bureaucracy, increase participation, and achieve tangible results. With 
a re-elected term, our Executive Committee can enhance its visibility in 
policy discussions, empowering more members to lead and shape policy 
dialogues. Together, we can achieve more.
Some of my focus areas when reelected include the GNSO Policy & 
Implementation Working Group Recommendations, Public Interest 
Commitments (PICs), Registry Voluntary Commitments (RVCs) and activities 
around the upcoming.

Qualifications for the Role:

I am a Digital Policy Researcher by profession and currently serve as 
the Executive Director for the Holland-based AW Free Foundation. The AW 
Free Foundation promotes professional journalism, independent media, 
freedom of expression, and digital rights in sub-Saharan Africa. The 
foundation supports journalists and media under threat, and promotes 
open technology and uncensored media tools and toolkits for journalists.

Before joining the Foundation, I worked as a journalist for the North 
Africa Post, the BBC, and RFI. I was the Communication Lead at Paradigm 
Initiative and a Google Policy Fellow (EMEA).
I have worked as a non-key expert for the joint European Union & African 
Union's PRIDA - Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa 
project, implementing and strengthening several National and Regional 
Internet Governance Initiatives, including the West Africa Internet 
Governance Forum, and national IGF initiatives and schools across 
Africa. I am currently the coordinator of the West Africa School of 
Internet Governance for ECOWAS and a faculty member of the Ghana and 
Benin School on Internet Governance.

I have been a researcher and consultant on projects for organizations 
including the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the Web 
Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Paradigm Initiative, Local 
Development Research Institute (LDRI), ICANN, UNESCO, The Humboldt 
Institute for Internet and Digitalization, Berlin's Digital Society 
Institute, and I am the Chair of the Internet Society Togo Chapter.

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Finance from IAEC University (Togo), a BSc 
(Hons) in Business Computing and Information Systems from the University 
of Central Lancashire (UK), an M.A. in Journalism & Communications (New 
Media) from the Central University of Tunis (Tunisia), and I am an MA 
candidate in Contemporary Diplomacy (Internet Governance) from the 
University of Malta. I paused my Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management 
at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy & 
Governance three years ago. I have authored and co-authored numerous 
articles and book chapters on topics including AI, Data Governance, IT 
policy, Internet Governance, Digital Rights, and Privacy. I am also a 
faculty member at the emlyon business school in France (Paris & Lyon 
campuses) and the School of Public Affairs at Paris Sciences Po. I am a 
certified PMP & Scrum Master and a member of the Project Management 
Institute and the British Computer Society, MyData Global, and several 
Digital Rights Coalitions. I am bilingual, fluent in both French and 
English.

In addition to coordinating the policy work of NPOC, I am a member of 
the NCSG Policy Committee and represent the NCSG in the IDNs EPDP. I 
have participated in the ICANN Leadership Program (LP), the ICANN Policy 
Transition Program Pilot as a pioneer fellow, and the ongoing ICANN 
Policy Development Accelerator.

How many hours per week you are able to dedicate to the position?

During my first term, I consistently devoted approximately 6 to 8 hours 
each week to NPOC policy work. This included engaging in weekly EPDP 
meetings and participating in the ICANN Policy Development Accelerator. 
I am prepared to increase my commitment as necessary and also dedicate 
time to mentoring members who are interested in policy work or wish to 
take a leading role in drafting our public comments and contributions.

Are you involved in any working Groups or PDP efforts, if so please 
state:

I am currently engaged in the ICANN Policy Development Accelerator and 
actively participating in the EPDP for IDNs, as well as the discussions 
around Public Interest Commitments (PICs). I serve as a Penholder for 
some of the NCSG Policy Committee's comments. Additionally, I am an 
observer at the GNSO Council meetings and participate in the Transfer 
Policy Review IRT and the SubPro IRT.

---
Emmanuel Vitus
_Policy Researcher, working for an Open & Inclusive Internet_
_My WiFi connects automatically in France & Togo _
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