IAC Report 14/12/02

Status: Accepted at Council Meeting 021214

1. APTLD Secretariat
   

   The current Secretariat is hosted in Taiwan under a two year contract which is now up. Bids for the hosting of the Secretariat close on 13 December 2002 with the only bid to date being received from Taiwan.

   The Committee is prepared to put in a bid for Internet NZ to host the Secretariat, but prior to doing so the Chair will take soundings of other APTLD Board members.

2. ccTLD Secretariat
   

   The Executive Director, Dr B K Kim, has resigned and as a consequence the Secretariat is effectively being transferred from Korea to Thailand. This is regarded as an interim position until the New Year when the Secretariat should be re-bid. At Shanghai it was agreed that the terms of reference for the Secretariat would be reviewed and a call for bids opened before Christmas, with a view to making an appointment in February.

   Finalising the terms of reference is likely to be difficult with the prospect of a CCSO, and the change of function from the Secretariat involved in switching from a constituency to a support organisation.

   Sue Leader has announced that she is interested in making a bid herself to provide Secretariat services and has had some indications of support. The Committee thinks this is an idea worth pursuing, and investigations into the administrative, political and resourcing consequences are being pursued.

3. ICANN reform
   

   There seems a consensus of opposition to aspects of the policy development process proposed by the assistance group. No separate position statement has been made by New Zealand to the ERC. We will wait and see what kind of recommendations are made to the Board, and then consider whether submissions need to be made to the Board prior to the Amsterdam meeting (14, 15 December 2002).

4. ITU
   

   The ITU has convened a meeting in Geneva on 3 and 4 March 2003, potentially in conflict with the ICANN meeting in Rio later that month. The ITU has called on its members to provide information about their ccTLD experience, particularly in relation to redelegation and similar matters. It is probable that the New Zealand Government will publish a response to that request. Two types of response suggest themselves:

   4.1 A description of the relative success of private sector co-ordination of technical aspects of the internet in New Zealand; and

   4.2 A discussion of the difficulties experienced over several years with IANA.

   It is likely that the report will adopt the first approach, subject to what happens between now and the Geneva meeting.

5. Review of International Affairs by NZ Oversight Committee
   

   It is noted that many members of International Affairs who were participating in this process would likely serve on the committee proposed to be formed by the OC. An interim report will be provided in March, potentially at an international forum, to review and confirm aspects of the International Affairs mandate.

6. IANA
   

   In the absence of a response by Friday, 6 December 2002, consideration will be given to a government to government query concerning the current update request.

7. Visit by China
   

   The International Affairs Officer of the Chinese Registry will be visiting in late February/early March. Officers and councillors are likely to be involved in hospitality.

   A report was received from Andy Linton concerning his presentation to the Fiji seminar, a copy of which is attached.

P C Dengate Thrush
Chair
International Affairs Committee

© 2001 InternetNZ
Last updated 06 December 2002