UK backs US over ICANN internet move
24 Mar 2014 10:29 AM
Communications Minister
Ed Vaizey has welcomed the US government’s decision to transfer its
responsibility for the internet’s domain name system to an international,
multi-stakeholder process.
ICANN (Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers) has managed and coordinated the Internet’s
address system since 1998 under contract from the US Government. The contract
expires in September 2015.
Mr Vaizey said:
The time is right move towards
transferring responsibility for the internet’s domain name system into an
open and transparent multi-stakeholder process which is fully accountable to
the global Internet community.
The US government has asked
ICANN to develop a plan for the transition to a multi-stakeholder
process.
ICANN will hold its 50th public
meeting of global stakeholders in London in June this year. Mr Vaizey is
convening a meeting of government ministers and senior
policymakers.
He said:
This meeting will provide an
opportunity for senior government policymakers to discuss how they can
contribute to the process of globalisation of the Internet’s critical
infrastructure resources.