Three times each year ICANN hosts an international public meeting in a different geographic region of the world. The third meeting of 2011 is scheduled for Africa on October 24-28, and I am delighted to confirm that Dakar, Senegal, will be the site of ICANN’s 42nd Public Meeting.
We are grateful for the assistance of the government of Senegal and of our hosts, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies, in organizing this important international event, which will also be designated as ICANN’s 2011 Annual Meeting.
We are aware of concerns within the community regarding the recent demonstration that took place in Senegal. In keeping with our normal procedures and our obligation to provide a safe and secure environment for ICANN meetings, we will continue to closely monitor the situation as we prepare for the meeting.
Our colleagues in Senegal have promised our community a warm welcome to this fascinating and beautiful country on Africa’s Atlantic shore. We look forward to a successful and productive meeting.