Kenya’s The Star reports that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has welcomed a plan devised by Africa’s Internet community leaders to facilitate greater participation of the African continent in the organisation’s multi-stakeholder model.
Tarek Kamel, senior adviser to the ICANN President, is quoted as saying, “”We are taking a new approach to Africa. This plan is based on capacity building, business development, specifically developing the Domain Name System (DNS) business in Africa and insuring inclusion.”
The three-year plan is called ICANN’s New Approach to Africa writes The Star and is a joint initiative involving the efforts of AFRINIC, Africa’s Regional Registry for Internet Number Resources and the ICANN community.
The New Approach to Africa has reportedly been put together in order to address, amongst other issues, the small percentage (6%) that Africa’s Internet users represent within the global Internet user community.
According to the report ICANN’s new President Fadi Chehadé is pushing for a stronger voice from the continent within ICANN’s multi-stakeholder model.
Chehadé is quoted as saying, “When we met three months ago at the ICANN meeting in Prague, I felt a sense of frustration at our inability to come together and move the Africa agenda forward. It’s incredible what this working group has achieved in such a short period of time by engaging with many concerned groups and individuals through the multi-stakeholder process.”
Staff Writer
