ICANN and the CTU to Increase Active Engagement with Caribbean Stakeholders

Montego Bay, Jamaica - In the context of the recent Caribbean ICT Week, Fadi Chehadé, ICANN President and CEO, and Ms. Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase cooperation and coordination among both organizations.

The signing took place in the presence of Government Ministers of CTU member states including the President of the CTU, Hon. Philip Paulwell, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining of Jamaica; the signing ceremony was followed by a press conference facilitating widespread communication of news of the event to the Jamaica public, and wider Caribbean through electronic media.

In her remarks at the signing Ms. Bernadette Lewis remarked that "The Internet has become entwined in the fabric of our lives therefore we must take an interest in its development and participate in the fora that chart its course. The continued and equitable growth of the internet is a collective responsibility and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) is prepared to play its part in taking an active role in determining the future of the Internet. This MoU is the demonstration of the CTU's commitment to work in collaboration with ICANN to increasing awareness and usage of the Internet and its resources in the Caribbean."

On his part, in the spirit of collaboration, Fadi Chehadé ended his remarks by quoting the African Proverb "If you want to go fast…go alone. If you want to go far…go together."

Mr. Chehadé and Ms. Lewis committed to make this a workable framework by getting their respective teams to start implementing concrete actions in the upcoming weeks. Actions are planned to include capacity building, partnering for outreach events and fostering multistakeholder dialogue at the regional and national levels.