[Npoc-discuss] Fwd: [AfrICANN-discuss] Fwd: [kictanet] African Union Commission Communiqué on the declaration of the Independent Review Panel (IRP) in the matter between Dot Connect Africa (DCA) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

Sat Aug 1 22:57:28 UTC 2015

Dear All,

Please, FYI.
_Olévié_
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kawsu Sillah <kawsu.sillah at gmail.com>
Date: 2015-08-01 12:06 GMT+01:00
Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] Fwd: [kictanet] African Union Commission
Communiqué on the declaration of the Independent Review Panel (IRP) in the
matter between Dot Connect Africa (DCA) and the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
To: KAWSU ESSA SILLAH <kawsu.sillah at gmail.com>

Good morning colleagues,

This's for your information. Pardon my cross post and duplication.

Thank you.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Alice Munyua via kictanet* <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Date: Saturday, August 1, 2015
Subject: [kictanet] African Union Commission Communiqué on the declaration
of the Independent Review Panel (IRP) in the matter between Dot Connect
Africa (DCA) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN)
To: Kawsu Sillah <kawsu.sillah at gmail.com>
Cc: Alice Munyua <alice at dotafrica.org>

*African Union Commission Communiqué on the declaration of the Independent
Review Panel (IRP) in the matter between Dot Connect Africa (DCA) and the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)*

The African Union Commission (AUC) is deeply concerned by the final
declaration of the Independent Review Panel (IRP) in the matter between Dot
Connect Africa (DCA) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN).

The declaration raises serious questions on the role of governments in the
ICANN multi stakeholder model and the broader Internet governance ecosystem
as well as the effectiveness and reliability of government protection
mechanisms as outlined in the new gTLD Applicants Guidebook

We reiterate and re-emphasize that African governments mandated the African
Union Commission (AUC), through the Abuja Declaration to “set up the
structure and modalities for the implementation of the dot Africa Top Level
Domain”.  The AUC adopted an open and transparent process at the regional
level through the Request for Proposals (RFP) and at the end of this
process exclusively endorsed the application submitted by the ZA Central
Registry (ZACR) for the. Africa Top Level Domain, dot Africa (.AFRICA)

Recalling that African governments raised concerns in the Dakar communiqué,
regarding the protection of geographic names in the new gTLD program and
ICANN assured African governments that there were adequate protections for
geographic names, such as. AFRICA contained in the new gTLD Applicants
Guidebook.

We note that in response to these assurances the AUC elected not to pursue
previous requests to have the. AFRICA TLD string added to the reserve name
list and through our endorsement of the ZACR application for the. AFRICA
TLD, the AUC became an active participant in the new gTLD process. We
participated in the formulation and adoption of the geographic name
protection mechanisms as contained in the Applicant Guidebook. This set of
rules, applicable to all new gTLD applicants and affected parties, was the
result of a multi-stakeholder engagement process that was eventually
adopted by ICANN.

We reiterate that the processes leading up to the establishment of the
final Applicant Guidebook, and all material times thereafter, including
during the application and evaluation periods, was open, transparent and
provided several avenues for applicants to engage with individual African
governments, the GAC and the ICANN board regarding any concerns raised. All
new gTLD applicants would have and should have, been acutely aware of these
considerations prior to submitting their applications.

We recall that African governments, individually and collectively through
the mechanisms of the GAC, engaged with all reasonable means at their
disposal, as outlined in the Applicants Guidebook, to:

·         Submit public comments;

·         Raise early warnings (which provided an opportunity for other
applicants to engage in an open and transparent manner with the various
governments regarding concerns expressed); and

·         Issue GAC objections and GAC advice to the board.

We emphasize that GAC consensus advice contained in the 2013 Beijing
communiqué was the culmination of a lengthy process of public engagement in
order to provide fairness and transparency regarding governments concerns
and objections relating to geographic name protections and to provide
rationale to the board and ICANN community, including applicants, on future
government related responses to new gTLD applications.

The Africa region, African Internet stakeholders, the ZACR and AUC are the
unfortunate victims of a dysfunctional accountability process and an
independent review panel that did not delve more deeply to understand the
new gTLD process, the role of governments in that process and how the ICANN
multi stakeholder model functions in general.

We note that while the IRP does not refute that governments, through the
issuance of consensus GAC Advice, formally objected to the DCA application,
the final declaration raises concerns about the role of government
engagement in the ICANN multi stakeholder model and more broadly in the
internet governance ecosystem.

The AUC endorsed ZACR dot Africa (.Africa) application has been, and
continues to be, a collaborative African led initiative involving African
governments, ICT stakeholders and the broader African community.

*Directorate of Information and Communication*

Directorate of Information and Communication *|* Information and
Communication *| *African Union Commission

Tel: +251-11-5517700* |* Fax: * |* E-mail: DIC at africa-union.org* | *Web:
www.au.int

Addis Ababa* | *Ethiopia

On 01/08/2015 11:11, Barrack Otieno via kictanet wrote:

Listers ,

FYI

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rinalia Abdul Rahim <rinalia.abdulrahim at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Aug 2015 09:56:01 +0800
Subject: [ALAC] John Jeffrey blog on .africa IRP
To: ALAC Working List
<alac at atlarge-lists.icann.org>,afri-discuss at atlarge-lists.icann.org

Dear ALAC and AFRALO,

Please find below a link to ICANN General Counsel's blog on the .africa IRP
ruling.

https://www.icann.org/news/blog/africa-irp-declaration-clearing-up-some-facts

Best regards,

Rinalia

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Olévié Ayaovi Agbenyo KOUAMI
Président/CEO de INTIC4DEV (http:www.intic4dev.org)
Directeur-Adjoint de O and K IT sarl (Editeur de logiciels de gestion SIGE
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