MARINA DEL REY, Calif.: Time is running out to make the Internet your business and put your name forward to join the global leadership volunteers who help the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers coordinate the polices and process that shape the future of the Internet.
"If you want to be a part of ICANN’s exciting work on bringing the languages of the world to domain names, and creating more choice for consumers by allowing for the creation of new Internet extensions beyond the ones currently available like .net or .org, now is the time to let us know," said Hagen Hultzsch, Chair of the Nominating Committee (NomCom). "ICANN’s global team of Internet leaders is working on some of the biggest changes to the Internet since it was created – and this is the chance to help make that happen."
The Nominating Committee is independent of ICANN and is tasked with searching the world for experienced individuals to fill key positions on ICANN’s Board and its Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees. The following positions are being filled this year:
- 2 Board Directors
- 1 GNSO Council member
- 1 ccNSO Council member
- 2 ALAC members (who will represent Europe and North American regions)
"The ICANN leadership team is a dedicated group of volunteers from across the world who have helped shape the Internet used by more than a billion people globally. The coordination work done by ICANN has provided a foundation for businesses across the globe—and fostered operations that rely on the Domain Name System’s ability to connect them to customers and business partners," said Hultzsch. "We’re looking for volunteers to join this team and work alongside people who come from in the technical field, who are leading policy experts, and even individuals who helped create the very foundations of the Internet."
The deadline to submit Statements of Interest is 15 April 2008 23:59 UTC.
"Beyond its responsibilities for keeping the Internet secure, stable, and interoperable, ICANN’s mission is to grow and evolve its global multi-stakeholder decision-making process, so it is the individuals who make up the wider Internet community who direct and decide the Internet’s future," Hultzsch added.
There have been 42 Statements of Interest received so far:
- 40 from men
- 2 from women
- 12 from Europe
- 8 from Asia/Australia/Pacific
- 5 from Latin America/Caribbean
- 12 from North America
- 6 from Africa
- Some candidates count toward more than one ICANN region.
Of the candidates, 34 have declared a willingness to serve on the ICANN Board, 23 have stated they would serve on the GNSO Council, 20 have declared a willingness to serve on the ccNSO Council, and 13 have offered to serve on the ALAC. Some candidates have asked to be considered for more than one position.
ICANN covers travel expenses related with ICANN duties. Information on applying is available at http://nomcom.icann.org/. The 2008 Nominating Committee does not anticipate extending the nomination period as it has done in previous years.
About ICANN:
ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company. For more information please visit: www.icann.org .
Media Contacts:
Jason Keenan
Media Adviser, ICANN
Ph: +1 310 382 4004
E: jason.keenan@icann.org
International: Andrew Robertson
Edelman (London)
Ph: +44 7921 588 770
E: andrew.robertson@edelman.com