New gTLD Board Committee Consideration of GAC Safeguard Advice - ".health"

[Otmar Kloiber <otmar.kloiber@xxxxxxx>]

The health Internet is an important means of health information access 
worldwide. Thus, ".health" and health related top level domains should be 
trusted and reliable resources which take the public interest into account. We 
recommend to pay attention the concerns expressed by the GAC, and the 
objections submitted by the ALAC and the Independent Objector regarding 
health-related names.
 
The GAC has proposed general safeguards for a set of names related to health. A 
" .health" TLD without adequate quality assurance and consumer protection 
mechanisms in place will undermine credibility and harm the growth of the 
online health marketplace. Despite GAC advice, an open and unrestricted TLD is 
likely to help bypass regulatory controls creating new risks for the whole 
industry sector, including in emerging markets. Developing countries will 
suffer the most in this scenario, due to their difficulties in enforcing 
national policies to regulate, monitor, and stop fraud and misuse.
 
As the global federation of National Medical Associations we believe that 
".health" should be managed as a global asset, and that its governance should 
be based on broad-based, multi-stakeholder consensus.  In this regard the ICANN 
board should note the concerns of the health community, GAC, ALAC and the IO, 
and should not proceed beyond Initial Evaluation of the ".health" string, 
including its Chinese variant. We urge the ICANN board to postpone the 
attribution of ".health" until such time as following broad-based consultation 
of the health community, including the public and private sectors, adequate 
baseline conditions for its operation are elaborated and their implementation 
and observance can be ensured.
 
    
Dr. Otmar Kloiber
Secretary General


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The World Medical Association (WMA) is the global federation of National 
Medical Associations representing the millions of physicians worldwide. Acting 
on behalf of patients and physicians, the WMA endeavors to achieve the highest 
possible standards of medical care, ethics, education and health-related human 
rights for all people.