NPOC Trip Assessment 3

I participated in the following WISIS Forum events:

Thursday 28th May 2015

1. Building Trust in Cyberspace – Working Together

2. C5. Building Confidence and Security in the Use ICTs

3. International e-Commerce for Developing Countries

4. IANA Stewardship Transition - A Live Example of a Multistakeholder Process. –

Friday 29th May 2015

1. Collaborative Internet Security

2. Implementing WSIS OUTCOMES: A Ten Year Review, CSTD Secretariat and UNCTAD

My comments / remarks / perceptions.

Not really impressed by the way the forum was organised. Logistically quite wide spread rooms, long walks if you had to move around for your meetings. Value of speakers and presenters somehow not what I had expected to see and listen to.

Just like Klaus Stoll was also mentioning, the "IANA Stewardship Transition – A Live Example of a Multistakeholder Process" was an intensive and filled my expectations. Perhaps this was due to the fact it was a realistic topic, a debate with a lot of ground and actual.

The exhibition room was not that impressive. Had a few chat's with the people on the boots, not really adding value to my visit to the forum.

The Ten Year review was interesting, except there was not enough time for a debate and exchange of views and ideas. It was strongly dominated by the moderator. (This happened also in other sessions where moderators were using a lot of airspace).

My perception, with relation to ICANN's work and mission, highlights the fact ICANN is not well known at the level of some participants. And some are really not willing to invest time in ICANN as they discover most of the debates are “manipulated” by some people trying to do the same in other for a (also in this one).

ICANN's position in the WSIS debate seems to me more important then we would recognise. Looking at the topics in the agenda it is clear ICANN's stakeholders have a task and a duty to accomplish. At the WSIS forum many participants were government representatives. Thus again trying to obtain their part of the cake. While having had exchanges with one GAC person well known in ICANN (Khavous) I got a better understanding in relation to the debates going on in ICANN. Perhaps due to the fact the discussion took place outside an ICANN event.

This demonstrates again, outreach outside of ICANN events is more than important and requires much more attention. When speaking in some sessions (Thursday – cybersecurity for instance) I perceived many participants of the session did not recognise some important aspects related to the DNS. Awareness of up to what level ICANN can/should be responsible at securing the internet, is very low. Many thought is was ICANNs duty to take down websites with illegal content or criminal actions.

My next participation at a WSIS forum or meeting will require a it more preparation as it is definitely a different format of the ICANN meetings we are used to.