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Below is my candidate statement for a deeper look at my skills, experience and vision if I were to be elected as the EC APAC representative. 

Name: Mili Semlani 
Region of residence: India, Asia Pacific 
Gender: Female 
Employment: Journalist and Community Manager @Splice Media, founder and leader at Youth4IG 
Conflict of interest: None

Reasons for willingness to take on the position:
I have been involved in the IG space since 2014 as a youth ambassador (I was a Netmission awardee). My journey in the IG world as a youth fellow has also given me valuable insights into recognizing and addressing barriers to participation and engagement at regional, local, and international forums IG forums. I joined NCUC right after my first ICANN fellowship to advance my work in capacity building and understanding policymaking to simplify it for those with a greater interest in policy development. 

While my strength or education does not lie in policy-making, I understand the processes and structures fully well and I want to leverage my expertise in communication to build a stronger onboarding programme for newcomers to the community and aid the steep learning curve. Along with other EC members and experienced members of the community, I want to re-introduce the buddy/mentorship programme with a robust structure and KPIs. 

In the past as EC for APAC, I have tried to revise the mailing list and increase communication at NCUC APAC level but unlike similar constituencies, the regional structures at NCUC/SG are not necessary for participation. Our current challenges include:
- onboarding newcomers (finding new members is not the hard part as the various fellowships take care of it)
- Provide support and beginner-friendly materials for newcomers to get plugged into the discussions
- retention of member interest and participation

Hence I choose to focus my attention on building a holistic solution to address the above instead of plain outreach. And I am aware I can't do this alone. The ICANN ecosystem is complex and things work slowly here, so even while the feasibility of some of these plans has been gaged; rolling them out requires a lot more time, stakeholder buy-in and collective energy; that I hope to continue catalysing. 

Qualifications for the position 
I am a tech, policy, and business journalist. I have reported in and about the Asian region with work assignments in India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Singapore and have a good understanding of our diverse region. I hold a master's degree in Journalism and worked as a consultant for the BPF Gender and Access at IGF. This experience also enhanced my knowledge of IG policies and divulged my interest deeper in topics related to gender and ICT with a special focus on how ICT can be used to fight gender issues in developing Asian economies. I started and steered the community for youth in IG the APAC region in 2019 where we collectively submitted workshop proposals to regional IGF, public comments to ICANN, organized capacity-building webinars, strengthened the youth voice in APAC and ran a mentorship program with mentors like Samiran Gupta (ICANN GSE for India) and Donna Austin. I have been a part of the APAC community since 2014 and I know both young and senior IG leaders in our community closely. I have been a fellow at APrIGF 2017 and 2019 and ICANN 63 and 66, in SIG 2018. 

Time commitment
I have been part of various IG processes for over 10 years now and know it enough to get used to the workload, volunteer burnout, and working across time zones. I work remotely and that aids my ability to join in meetings and spend the time and energy that is needed to serve on the Executive Committee, especially in such a complex environment as ICANN. Mostly, I am eager to offer my creativity to manage the various tasks in keeping the community active and going strong. I am motivated to make the APAC presence at ICANN not just larger but also more importantly vocal (undoing the shy Asian stereotype) and it will be my pleasure to contribute to NCUC's development and growth in the upcoming year by building something more tangible and longer lasting beyond my term on the EC.

I am open to taking any questions about my suitability for this role and suggestions on my vision for improving NCUC structures. I hope you will support my candidature. Thank you.
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Name: Razoaa Moslam
Region of residence: Australia (citizen of Bangladesh & Australia-Both)
Gender: Female 
Employment: Activist and Partner at Togather against Cybercrime, Active member of Youth IGF & a Lawyer
Conflict of interest: None that I am aware of

Reasons for willingness to take on the position:
I have been involved with NCUC since the year 2017 right after I first attended ICANN 60 in Abu Dhabi as a "Nextgen".  I am working in the Internet governance/ cybercrimes sector since 2009 since my university years. 

As an aspiring EC, I am deeply passionate about the intersection of technology, governance, and diplomacy. In an era defined by rapid technological advancement and the increasing interconnectedness of our world through the internet, the need for effective governance and diplomacy in cyberspace has never been more crucial.

My journey towards becoming an EC stems from a diverse background in technology, law, and international relations. With a solid foundation in computer science, I have developed a deep understanding of the technical complexities underlying internet governance issues, ranging from cybersecurity to data privacy and digital rights. Concurrently, my legal education has equipped me with the analytical skills necessary to navigate the intricate legal frameworks that govern cyberspace at both national and international levels.

As an EC-AP, my primary goal will be to promote multi-stakeholder cooperation and dialogue in addressing the complex challenges facing the internet ecosystem particularly in NCUC. I believe that inclusive governance frameworks, which involve collaboration among governments, industry stakeholders, civil society organizations, and technical experts, are essential for fostering innovation, protecting digital rights, and ensuring a free and open internet for all.

Furthermore, I am committed to advocating for the principles of digital sovereignty, inclusivity, and human rights in cyberspace. In an increasingly fragmented digital world, it is imperative to uphold these principles to prevent the balkanization of the internet and preserve its global nature as a common resource for humanity.

In addition to my academic background, I have actively engaged with various stakeholders in the internet governance community through participation in conferences, workshops, and online forums. These experiences have not only deepened my understanding of the multifaceted nature of internet governance but have also honed my skills in diplomacy, negotiation, and consensus-building.

As a councilor, I envision myself playing a catalytic role in bridging the gap between different stakeholders, facilitating dialogue, and fostering collaborative solutions to pressing internet governance challenges. Whether it involves advocating for the adoption of international norms and standards, mediating disputes between conflicting parties, or raising awareness about emerging threats, I am committed to leveraging my knowledge, skills, and networks to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of a free, open, and secure internet for future generations.

I am deeply passionate about the transformative power of the internet and firmly believe in its potential to drive positive change and empower individuals and communities worldwide. As an EC member, I am eager to leverage my interdisciplinary background, diplomatic acumen, and unwavering commitment to promoting a more inclusive and equitable digital future for NCUC.

I have been a part of the APAC community since 2017 and I know both young and senior IG leaders in our community closely. I have been a fellow at APIGA 2018. I've been a Nexgen member in ICANN 60 and "NextGen Ambassador" in ICANN 63 and "Fellow" in ICANN 76 and ICANN 80.

Time commitment
I work remotely and am happy to commit and dedicate any time that is required for this position. I hope you will support my candidature. Thank you.

• Name:  Amin Hacha 
• declared region of residence: Lebanese, residence in Italy. 
•  Gender: Male
• Employment:  Programmer in Fashion Design.
• Earning a BS in Computer Science and a BA in Business Management, with specialized studies in Fashion Programming Design in Japan.
• Any conflicts of interest: none.
• Reasons for willingness to take on the tasks of the particular position: In 2018, I became a member of  (NCUC) and actively participated in a variety of discussions. As time went on, I was involved more in NCUC, in addition, I joined the NCUC E-team, where I helped on updating and reorganizing the NCUC website, in addition to updating the NCUC X (Twitter) account.
  During my first term on the Executive Committee, I worked closely with my colleagues to ensure the seamless operation of NCUC and to uphold our commitment to our members. Furthermore, I helped in coordinating NCUC membership meetings and NCUC FORUM during the ICANN meetings, also I continued to dedicate myself to the ongoing enhancement of the NCUC website.
• I am aiming: As an NCUC EC member, I aim to prioritize advocating for non-commercial internet users, shaping beneficial policies, and encouraging community engagement. Also, to safeguard the rights of non-commercial internet users.
• Qualifications for the position: Based on my prior commitment to NCUC, I believe I am qualified for this position.  I will continue to strive to improve and elevate the work of NCUC.
•  Statement of availability for the time the position requires: I am fully committed to dedicating the necessary time and energy to the NCUC EC position. My schedule is flexible, allowing me to attend all required meetings, participate actively in discussions, and fulfill all duties and responsibilities associated with the role.

Name: Shadrach Ankrah

Region of residence: Africa (AF)

Gender: Male

Employment: IT Support Specialist; Founder & Executive Director – Connect Rurals

Conflict of interest: None

1. Why I Want to Serve on the EC

I'm passionate about contributing to the NCUC's mission and fostering a strong regional voice in ICANN policy discussions. The opportunity to collaborate with dedicated individuals to shape Internet governance excites me. My journey within the global Internet community began in 2018 as an ISOC Youth@IGF fellow, where I gained an in-depth understanding of the Internet ecosystem. This fellowship has been the foundation of my active participation and contribution to the Internet.

My goal has always been to represent and assist youth and underserved communities in gaining digital skills and access to the Internet, thereby transforming their lives. With this passion and desire, I have participated in many youth-led initiatives and communities, including the Youth Observatory (ISOC’s Youth Standing Group), Digital Grassroots, the Ghana Youth IGF steering committee, West Africa and Africa, and the global IGFs. I have contributed to these communities in various capacities, serving as a trainer, mentor, and technical support person, ensuring the successful completion of initiatives and integration of youth into those communities.

Often, rural and underserved communities are not included in opportunities related to digital transformation. For example, in my country, Ghana, many opportunities such as access to broadband, STEM training, and ICT tools and equipment mainly benefit those in urban areas, leaving those in rural areas behind. I have been focusing on addressing this issue for years, and it has led me to run a nonprofit initiative called Connect Rurals, where we focus on providing these skills and connecting rural communities to the opportunities the Internet offers.

This was the reason for joining the NCUC, and I am confident that I can effectively represent the voices of rural and underserved communities in ICANN.

1. Relevant Experience and Qualifications

I am an IT Support Specialist, which has allowed me to contribute to technical initiatives within the community. For instance, in 2022, I was part of a team of trainers who provided Disaster Preparedness Training (IDPT) to local NGOs, national and regional disaster management organizations, Internet Society Ghana chapter members, telecommunications staff, and young professionals. This training aimed to enable local communities to become more efficient and effective in restoring power and Internet connectivity and enhancing information sharing during a disaster or an emergency.

As a 2019 Hackathon@AIS fellow, I gained an understanding of Internet measurement where I participated in DNS over TLS (DoT) and DNS over HTTPS (DoH) setups and measured the performance of caching resolvers against locally set up DoT and DoH servers against publicly available DNS resolvers.

In addition, I have an understanding of policy development processes. As an AFRINIC-31 participant, I have been involved in policy discussions on the RDP mailing list and during the AFRINIC-31 Policy Meeting in Luanda, Angola. Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to participate in and learn about the policy development processes within ICANN by attending meetings. As the EC representative for Africa in NCUC, I plan to participate more actively in PDP and contribute to policies that shape the end-user and civil society perspectives.

Aside from these, I have actively participated and volunteered within the ICANN community. During the ICANN77 Policy Meeting in Washington D.C, I volunteered as a booth engager and also assisted in writing the ICANN77 fellows report. I also did the same during the Africa Engagement Forum held in July 2023 in Accra. With my active engagement within the At-Large Social Media group, I have won two (2) social media awards, one at each of these meetings.

1. Time Commitment

With my years of engagement and volunteering experience, I know the time commitment needed to serve in such a community. While, I am not mentioning, specific hours of time commitment, I am available to attend the EC meetings and other meetings within ICANN both in-person and remotely. In this regard, the time commitment to attend EC meetings can be within 10 hours a week. This is because I have engaged in other communities that regard weekly and regular meetings with individuals from different backgrounds and time zones.

1. Communication with Membership

I am open to and welcome discussions from all members. I will keep NCUC members informed, if necessary, and work with the other EC members and the chair to provide email updates with clear summaries of EC discussions and decisions. I will also be open and engage with community members during ICANN and other Internet-related events. Additionally, I am open to exploring other communication methods based on members’ feedback.

1. NCUC's Future and ICANN Policy Focus

NCUC can play a crucial role in promoting regional Internet governance capacity building. I envision expanding outreach programs to educate and empower stakeholders across the region, especially those in underserved communities. 

Here is my candidate statement, as required by our rules:

I am Muriel ALAPINI, a Beninese citizen residing in Cotonou (Africa region). I am female and currently a volunteer with the Benin IGF Association. To the best of my knowledge, I have no conflicts of interest.

1- Why do you want to serve on the EC?

I would like to join the EC, particularly as a representative of the Africa region, to on the one hand contribute to the work of our community and on the other hand help consolidate and amplify the voice of African end users. Since joining the community almost ten years ago, I have learned, observed and listened. These years of commitment have equipped me very well to take on this role and continue my service to the community. 

2- Provide a brief biography of recent experience, associations, and affiliations relevant to serving on the Executive Committee. Describe the relevance of your personal and professional experience to serving on the NCUC Executive Committee, and identify any conflicts of interest you might have.

As an end user of the Internet, I discovered the community and the field of internet governance. I strive to give back to end users everything I learn within this community. My training and awareness sessions target children, young people, and women, including digital education courses and awareness sessions on internet governance for students and journalists. Additionally, I am involved in the NRIs Network of the UN, the Benin IGF, and the WAIGF Secretariat for the preparation of sessions and activities related to internet governance. These experiences provide a solid foundation to support me in this new role.

3- The EC performs several functional responsibilities for the Constituency. What level of time commitment can you bring to your EC role on a weekly and overall basis? Describe any concerns or limitations on your ability to attend online meetings of the Executive Committee and ICANN Meetings in person.

“When you love what you do, you don't count the time or the effort’. I am passionate about working in internet governance. I am committed to dedicating the required time to fulfill my role on the EC and dedicate at least 5 hours per week to organize outreach, training, and mobilize our membership base to participate in policies.

4- Communication with the membership is critical. How would you keep members apprised of your EC-related activities?

Communication around activities is a team effort. I am confident that, along with the other members of the committee, we will implement an effective communication strategy for members and other external internet end users.

5- How do you foresee NCUC’s function, scale, or role changing in the future? What areas of ICANN policy, if any, need more attention and why? Incumbent candidates should answer in a manner that is both backward and forward-looking, i.e., taking note of their contributions and work in the previous year.

I want to bring new perspectives and innovations from my years of experience on the field and online serving the internet governance ecosystem. Since its creation in 1998, the NCUC community has grown with its challenges, diversity, and inclusion of its members. By appreciating the work and efforts of previous committees, I am certain that future committees will continue to contribute to the consolidation and growth of this community.

I humbly ask for your vote to serve a purpose.

Happy to answer any questions.

Sincerely,

Muriel ALAPINI

Déclaration de Candidature

Mesdames, Messieurs, comme l'exige notre règlement voici ma présentation: 

Je suis Muriel ALAPINI, citoyenne béninoise résidant à Cotonou (région Afrique). 

Je suis une femme et actuellement bénévole au sein de l'Association FGI Bénin. 

À ma connaissance, je n'ai aucun conflit d'intérêt. 

1- Pourquoi souhaitez-vous siéger au Comité Exécutif du NCUC ? 

Je souhaite rejoindre le comité du NCUC, notamment en tant que représentante de la région Afrique pour d’une part apporter ma contribution aux travaux de notre communauté et d’autre part aider à consolider et amplifier la voix des utilisateurs finaux africains. Depuis que j'ai rejoint la communauté il y a près de dix ans, j'ai appris, observé et écouté. Ces années d'engagement m'ont très bien équipé pour assumer ce rôle et continuer mon service à la communauté. 

 2- Fournir une brève biographie de l'expérience récente, des associations et des affiliations pertinentes pour siéger au comité exécutif. Décrivez la pertinence de votre expérience personnelle et professionnelle pour siéger au comité exécutif du NCUC et identifiez tout conflit d'intérêts que vous pourriez avoir. 

En tant qu'utilisateur final d'Internet, j'ai découvert la communauté et le domaine de la gouvernance d'Internet et y travailler est une magnifique expérience. Je m'efforce de rendre aux utilisateurs finaux tout ce que j'apprends au sein de cette communauté par les sessions de formation et de sensibilisation que j’organise et qui s'adressent aux enfants, aux jeunes et aux femmes,(notamment des cours d'éducation numérique et des séances de sensibilisation à la gouvernance de l'internet à destination des étudiants et des journalistes). De plus, je suis impliquée dans le réseau NRIs de l'ONU, l'IGF Bénin et le Secrétariat du WAIGF pour la préparation de sessions et d'activités liées à la gouvernance de l'Internet. Ces expériences constituent une base solide sur laquelle m’appuyer dans ce nouveau rôle. 

3- Le Comité Exécutif  assume plusieurs responsabilités fonctionnelles pour la circonscription. Quel niveau de temps pouvez-vous consacrer à votre rôle EC sur une base hebdomadaire et globale ? Décrivez toute préoccupation ou limitation concernant votre capacité à assister en personne aux réunions en ligne du comité exécutif et aux réunions de l'ICANN.

 « Quand on aime ce qu’on fait, on ne compte ni le temps ni les efforts ». Je suis passionnée par le travail dans le domaine de la gouvernance de l'Internet. Je m'engage à consacrer le temps nécessaire pour remplir mon rôle au sein du CE et  au moins 5 heures par semaine à l'organisation de la sensibilisation, de la formation et à la mobilisation de nos membres pour qu'ils participent aux politiques. 

4- La communication avec les membres est essentielle. Comment tiendrez-vous les membres informés de vos activités liées au CE ? 

La communication autour des activités est un effort d’équipe. Je suis convaincue qu'avec les autres membres du comité, nous mettrons en œuvre une stratégie de communication efficace pour les membres et les autres utilisateurs finaux externes d'Internet. 

5- Comment prévoyez-vous l’évolution de la fonction, de l’échelle ou du rôle du NCUC à l’avenir ? Quels domaines de la politique de l'ICANN, le cas échéant, nécessitent plus d'attention et pourquoi ? Les candidats sortants doivent répondre d’une manière à la fois rétrospective et prospective, c’est-à-dire en prenant note de leurs contributions et de leur travail au cours de l’année précédente. 

Je souhaite apporter de nouvelles perspectives et innovations issues de mes années d'expérience sur le terrain et en ligne au service de l'écosystème de la gouvernance de l'Internet. Depuis sa création en 1998, la communauté NCUC s'est développée avec ses défis, sa diversité et l'inclusion de ses membres. En appréciant le travail et les efforts des comités précédents, je suis certaine que les prochains comités continueront de contribuer à la consolidation et à la croissance de cette communauté. 

Je vous remercie pour votre vote qui m’est d’un immense soutien. 

Heureuse de répondre à toutes vos questions.

I am honored to share my candidate statement to serve on EC as a representative of Africa region.

I am Sara Mohamed, a female telecommunications engineer living in Sudan. I work for Zain Sudan, a mobile company. To the best of my knowledge, I do not have any conflicts of interest.

1. Why do you want to serve on the EC?

Since becoming an ICANN and Youth IGF Member in 2016, I have been introduced to a world dedicated to seeking equality and justice for internet end users. I have always been passionate about internet governance issues, and now I have the opportunity to contribute more by representing my region and supporting the policy-making process.

1. Provide a brief biography of recent experience, associations, and affiliations relevant to serving on the Executive Committee. Describe the relevance of your personal and professional experience to serve on the NCUC Executive Committee, and identify any conflicts of interests you might have.

I have been a member of Youth IGF Sudan since its establishment, during which time I have conducted sessions and raised awareness about internet governance, particularly at universities. Currently, I am a facilitator at PAYAIG—The Pan-African Youth Ambassadors for Internet Governance—which aims to empower young Africans to take an active role in shaping the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and promote National and Regional IGF initiatives (NRIs). Also In my current position at Zain, we are striving to provide voice and data communication under very challenging circumstances in Sudan. This experience strengthens my belief in my purpose to serve the African region as a representative.

1. The EC performs several functional responsibilities for the Constituency. What level of time commitment can you bring to your EC role on a weekly and overall basis? Describe any concerns or limitations on your ability to attend online meetings of the Executive Committee and ICANN Meetings in person.

Time management is my forte, especially in the telecom field where organizing time efficiently is crucial to maximizing productivity. Additionally, my passion for serving my people provides me with even greater motivation. Therefore, I am fully committed to dedicating all the necessary hours, and more, to my work on EC.

1. Communication with the membership is critical. How would you keep members apprised of your EC-related activities?

  As part of my responsibilities as a Regional Representative, I will ensure that members from my region are informed about and respond to calls for comments from the Policy Committee, Working Groups, and other ICANN policy development activities. I will promptly reply to all such requests from the Policy Committee and will be available for all inquiries, ensuring responses within a self-imposed time frame.

1. How do you foresee NCUC’s function, scale, or role changing in the future? What areas of ICANN policy, if any, need more attention and why? Incumbent candidates should answer in a manner that is both backward and forward-looking, i.e. taking note of their contributions and work in the previous year.

The newcomer involvement and knowledge sharing within NCUC is open to volunteers from around the globe. Having been a newcomer myself, I initially had trouble understanding the roles of EC members and how I could get involved in the policy process. To support new members, I would like to share PowerPoint presentations on a regular basis in discussion groups that contain all the necessary information about NCUC and ways to get involved, facilitating greater engagement in the future.

I'll ask for your forgiveness if any of the answers have a substantial gap, we are finishing the week-long Brazilian Internet Governance Forum, so most of my time and energy is focused on that for now (:

•  Why do you want to serve on the EC?

I believe that the NCUC played a fundamental role in building the Domain Name System (and the Internet in general) as we know it today, which seems to have happened a lot due to the Herculean effort of these few people resisting the attempts groups and individuals with much more resources and power. I find the strength that the non-commercial has within ICANN impressive compared to other IG spaces, which is a tradition that must be preserved and, whenever possible, advanced. I would like to continue being a part of it and, - most of all, I believe that maintaining what has been built until now requires a lot of dedication, and I would love not only to continue being a part of this process but also to encourage a more internally harmonized and impactful non-commercial group.

•  Provide a brief biography of recent experience, associations, and affiliations relevant to serving on the Executive Committee. Describe the relevance of your personal and professional experience to serve on the NCUC Executive Committee, and identify any conflicts of interests you might have.

I'm coming from an "interim mandate" at the NCUC EC, at a time when the LAC community is finding it difficult to mobilize among the non-commercial community. I believe that this period, although it was mainly marked by being a learning period in this new role, was very fruitful regarding results to the NCUC, especially in reaching new people from the Youth programs and involving them in the NCUC and the NCSG, even from regions other than LAC. Before joining the NCUC EC, I was (and still am) on the board of the Brazilian chapter of the Internet Society, Creative Commons Brasil and the Instituto Observatório do Direito Autoral ("Copyright Observatory Institute", an NGO).

Before that, I was on ISOC Youth SIG (now Youth SG) board from 2020-2022. I am the current coordinator (although this is a formal position, we share the real coordination among a small group of 7 people) of the YouthLACIGF and, until recently, the local coordinator/focal point of the 2024 Brazilian NRI ("Fórum da Internet no Brasil"). 
Regarding possible conflicts of interest, I don't believe there are any to declare. However, for transparency reasons (the info is in my SOI as well), I currently work as legal counsel at NIC.br, the ".br" ccTLD registry - but I do not represent the organization within ICANN, and my efforts here are focused on non-commercial objectives, considering my civil society and academic background.

•  The EC performs several functional responsibilities for the Constituency. What level of time commitment can you bring to your EC role on a weekly and overall basis? Describe any concerns or limitations on your ability to attend online meetings of the Executive Committee and ICANN Meetings in person.

I have 3 hours of my week reserved for ICANN work while being able to allocate a few more hours depending on the need and having enough time to plan in advance. Like many others in this constituency and Stakeholder Group, I have a tight schedule, but the experience with these few months at the EC has shown that adequate planning and really using the reserved time for focused ICANN work is sufficient. When there is a supervening conflict of agenda, I let my EC colleagues know in advance, then watch the recording and contribute asynchronously.

•  Communication with the membership is critical. How would you keep members apprised of your EC-related activities?

I believe that we, as an EC, have not been communicating enough with the community, and this should change. As elected representatives, it is important to enhance transparency and proper reporting on the activities carried out, so that we can be held accountable by the group we represent. A few weeks ago, I suggested and we approved in the NCUC EC that we implement a mechanism of continuous reporting of our activities, detailing who is doing what, so the community can follow the level of engagement of their representatives and what are the results they are delivering.

•  How do you foresee NCUC’s function, scale, or role changing in the future? What areas of ICANN policy, if any, need more attention and why? Incumbent candidates should answer in a manner that is both backward and forward-looking, i.e. taking note of their contributions and work in the previous year.

I do not think NCUC's essential objectives or roles will be changing profoundly in the next few years. A few large tasks, especially in the policy field and developed together with the NCSG, are still ongoing and need to be continued. However, I believe three important things need to be changed or improved: (i) compared to our history, there is a visible necessity of recovering an image of experts in certain important subjects, so capacity building and documentation of previous positions are essential; (ii) more cooperation and joint activities between different parts and members of the NCSG as a whole; (iii) more activities in between ICANN Meetings, so we don't lose the engagement momentum that exists right after the face-to-face encounters.  

Here is my candidate statement: 

Name: Namra Naseer 

Region of Residence: NY, US

Gender: Female 

Employment: Currently working with New Jersey State Economic Development Authority 

Conflict: None 

I want to serve on the EC for NA because after exploring different groups within ICANN, I realized you can make the most impact through NCSG/NCUC, and I believe that EC is a great place to start contributing. My involvement in Internet governance and policy issues, combined with my experience in various ICANN teams and programs, has taught me the importance of NCUC's work. I have found mentors within NCUC, and serving on the EC would allow me to leverage my skills and experience to contribute meaningfully to our community, advocate for non-commercial interests, and support NCUC.

Since 2022, I have been involved within NCSG/NCUC, participating in the Policy Transition Program – Pilot under the management of Melissa Algood. I have gained valuable insights into the Applicant Support program and its evolution, including its challenges. I was an alternate at SubPro Small Team Plus for the new gTLDs program. I have been a three-time consecutive ICANN fellow and was featured in the ICANN76 newsletter. 

My personal and professional experiences are relevant to serving on the NCUC EC (NA). I bring valuable insights from my work with startups in the AI, information retrieval, and education spaces, as well as my experience as the Vice President and Board Member at ISOC NY and a recent fellow of ARIN. Additionally, I have six years of experience in research, analysis, geopolitics, and policy work, which equips me with a solid foundation to navigate the interplay of various issues. My professional and volunteer experience as a facilitator/ speaker demonstrates my ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and effectively communicate. Through the Pilot Transition Program and as an alternate on the SubPro Small Team Plus, I have understood the long history of gTLDs, which now helps me navigate the present work on it and how it interacts with NCUC and its interests. 

I am committed to dedicating time to fulfill my EC responsibilities, including attending online meetings, participating in discussions, and contributing to projects. I have no significant concerns or limitations that would affect my ability to participate in online discussions or ICANN Meetings in person. 

I intend to utilize email updates and mailing lists to keep members apprised of my EC-related activities and ensure transparency by sharing my progress. I encourage all members to provide input and feedback to address our community's needs and concerns.

NCUC's function, scale, and role are evolving to address the increasing complexities of the internet space, specifically the domain name industry. I also foresee the growing importance of NCUC work relevant to the next gTLD round. NCUC has much potential to expand its outreach to underrepresented communities and strengthen its capacity-building initiatives. 

Several areas of ICANN policy need more attention, particularly issues related to data protection, privacy, and the impact of emerging technologies on domain name systems. The evolution of the Applicant Support program and new gTLD policies also require continued focus to ensure equitable access and fair treatment for non-commercial users.