A Personal Intervention

["Michael D. Palage" <michael@xxxxxxxxxx>]

As an individual who previously assisted the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in
connection with their negotiations with ICANN Staff regarding the .POST
registry agreement, it should come as no surprise that I support the
approval of this registry sponsorship agreement.  This agreement represents
an important evolution in an endeavor that the UPU has been pursuing on
behalf of its 191 member countries and the global postal community for the
last nine years.  While the issue before the Board is the approval of a
registry sponsorship agreement in connection with the UPU's 2004 .POST
Sponsored TLD application, it is important to note that the UPU was also a
participant in ICANN's original 2000 New gTLD Proof of Concept round.
Instead of looking back and trying to explain why it took nine years to get
to this point, I would instead like to look forward and focus on the
positive aspects which this agreement represents:

 

-          Establishes a constructive partnership between ICANN and the UPU,
the world's second oldest intergovernmental organization (est. in 1874);

-          Empowers the UPU and the global postal sector to move forward in
its role helping to bridge the digital divide as recognized in the WSIS
process;

-          Enables the UPU, in coordination with its national Designated
Operators to bring new and innovative services to the global postal
community; and

-          Provides a possible registry framework for other specialized
agencies of the United Nations and/or other national/regional governments to
work in collaboration with ICANN;

 

With the Board approval of this agreement, it also demonstrates a continued
maturity in ICANN's development as an international organization in its
ability to find appropriate legal frameworks when entering into agreements.
Unfortunately, all too often during ICANN's formative years, a one size fits
all approach to agreements impeded ICANN's ability to fulfill its
obligations as a trustee of a global resource. However, as demonstrated by
the Board's recent action in connection with the approval of the IDN ccTLD
Fast Track approach, ICANN under Rod Beckstrom's leadership is looking to
move things forward by thinking outside the box where the best interests of
the global Internet community are served. 

 

Best regards,

 

Michael D. Palage