ICANN Announcements

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Latin America and Caribbean Sign Historic Internet Agreement with ICANN

5 December 2006

São Paulo, Brasil, 5 December 2006: ICANN today signed a historic agreement with Latin American and Caribbean Internet user groups that will benefit all users across the region. Called the Latin America - Caribbean Regional At-Large Organisation (RALO), the group consists of twenty-two Internet user groups from across the region that have forged a regional consensus on a means to provide individual user input to ICANN. This is the first such agreement that has been reached.

Commenting on the agreement, Dr Paul Twomey, President and CEO of ICANN, said: “This is a good day for the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean. These diverse groups have volunteered their time and passion to achieve a historic consensus. This is the first region to agree a regional forum to enhance user cooperation an input to ICANN policy development. They and the broader Latin America and the Caribbean can be proud of both their leadership role and commitment to the interests of individual internet users.”

By signing this agreement, the Latin America and Caribbean region leads the world in terms of Internet user representation and democracy. Other geographical regions are currently working to develop their own groups.

Adding his thoughts on the agreement, Vint Cerf, Chairman of ICANN said: “This is wonderful news for Internet users in Latin America and the Caribbean. Agreements like this one ensure that users remain key stakeholders in the Internet’s ongoing development. It comes as no surprise to me that the Latin America is at the forefront of user democracy, given the level or regional development and interest in Internet issues.”