[WSIS CS-Plenary] Public Interest Groups to Discuss Controversial Plans to Add New Domains at San Francisco ICANN Meeting Pre-Event

[Robin Gross]

NCUC at ICANN: Internet Governance and the Global Public Interest
11 March 2011 – Westin St. Francis Hotel -- San Francisco
 
Public Interest Groups to Discuss Controversial Plans to Add New Domains at San Francisco ICANN Meeting Pre-Event
 
craigslist Founder Craig Newmark to Keynote Internet Policy Conference
 
       (San Francisco)  ICANN’s Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) is pleased to host a policy conference “NCUC at ICANN: Internet Governance and the Global Public Interest” on Friday 11 March 2011 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel at Union Square in San Francisco.
 
The all-day civil society policy conference will be held immediately before the 40th International ICANN Meeting takes place at the same historic hotel in San Francisco over the next week.  NCUC’s conference is targeted at international Internet governance participants, as well as Bay Area law and policy experts, digital rights activists and other civil society organizations concerned with Internet governance policies.
 
“NCUC at ICANN: Internet Governance and the Global Public Interest” will explore a number of Internet policy issues in which NCUC is engaged, including panel discussions on censorship, privacy, intellectual property rights and domain name take-downs.  Panelists will examine the appropriate role for national governments vis-à-vis other stakeholders in Internet governance.  The conference will also consider ICANN’s ability to address the concerns of developing countries and serve the global public interest. 
 
Internet entrepreneur Craig Newmark, founder of the popular website craigslist.org will deliver a keynote address at the conference during lunch.  For many years, he has been a vocal advocate of free expression on the Internet, and a strong supporter of many nonprofits that work, online and offline, to serve and unite people worldwide.

"ICANN's work in the area of Internet freedom is vital to the future of all enterprises online, and I'm pleased to be a part of this important program," said Newmark.
 
ICANN Chairman of the Board of Directors Peter Dengate Thrush will deliver the closing remarks at the NCUC policy conference. Former ICANN Board Member Karl Auerbach will lead a discussion on the emerging issue of an independent compatible domain name system and the challenges and opportunities such services provide for Internet users. 
 
The conference is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required to attend.  NCUC plans to webcast the policy conference and provide online remote participation for those who cannot attend in person on 11 March in San Francisco.
 
The conference host, NCUC, represents more than 200 non-commercial organizations and individuals engaged in Internet policymaking within ICANN’s Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG).  NCUC’s membership includes educational institutions, human rights groups, religious institutions, development-oriented nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, individuals and other non-commercial participants.
 
For more information on the NCUC conference, including a detailed discussion agenda, speaker list and online registration, visit the website or email conference organizer Robin Gross Robin at IPJustice.org.
 
NCUC at ICANN Conference Website:
http://www.tinyurl.com/NCUC-SF
 
NCUC Website:
http://ncdnhc.org/
 
ICANN’s 40th International Meeting Website:
http://svsf40.icann.org/
 





IP JUSTICE
Robin Gross, Executive Director
1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
w: http://www.ipjustice.org     e: robin at ipjustice.org

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