ICTP 021: Navigating ICANN and its relevance to the Caribbean, with Albert Daniels

It is perhaps no surprise that many of us underestimate the importance of domain names and IP addresses, although they are both crucial for us to access to the various websites and online platforms we like to frequent. Albert Daniels, the Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager for the Caribbean region, of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which manages domain names and IP addresses globally, discusses ICANN, some of the hot topics that are currently being discussed, and why it is important for countries, especially those in the Caribbean, to participate in the ongoing policy development processes facilitated by ICANN.

This episode is also available in Apple iTunes and on Stitcher!

If you have been a long-time reader of ICT Pulse, on the odd occasion we would highlight a domain name or Internet Protocol (IP) address-related issue to which we, in the Caribbean region, should pay more attention. Invariably, the organisation, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which as the name suggests focusses on assigned (domain) names and assigned (IP) numbers, is usually the lead actor in those conversations.

In June, I had the opportunity to attend the ICANN Policy Forum, held in Panama, and although the policy forum tends to be one of ICANN’s smaller meetings, there were numerous concurrent discussions taking place among the several groups and constituencies that comprise ICANN. As a result, it can be a challenge to truly wrap your head around how ICANN truly works, the issues that are being debated, and the role and function of the numerous stakeholder groups, and how they contribute to the policy development process at ICANN.

So in deciding to delve more into ICANN, I thought it wise to engage an experienced guide, in the form of Albert Daniels, ICANN’s Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager for the Caribbean region. Albert is from the region (Saint Lucia to be exact), working in the region, and for the region; so he is aptly qualified to help us navigate the beast that is ICANN: whilst cognisant of the broad range of challenges experienced by individual Caribbean countries, and the region as a whole.

In our interview with Albert, we just about scratched the surface of ICANN – what it is, how it operates, and some of the issues it is trying to address. With that foundation laid, there is now scope to have more in-depth discussions in the future on one or two specific issues. By the way, if you have an issue that you would like us to discuss, do leave us a message in the comments section, or via social media. In the meantime, the discussion with Albert revolved around the following:

What is ICANN
How is ICANN different from some of the other international organisations, such as the ITU, ISOC and ARIN, that also focus on the Internet or some aspect of Internet Governance
What makes ICANN relevant to the Caribbean
Select projects or initiatives that ICANN has been spearheading or otherwise supporting in the region
Albert’s role as ICANN’s Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager for the Caribbean, and a few of his successes to date
How attitudes and behaviour with respect to domain-related issues have changed in the Caribbean over the past few years
Some of the big issues/hot topics ICANN is currently grappling with, of which we in the region should be aware
The extent to which the Caribbean is likely to be represented at the upcoming ICANN Annual General Meeting, which will be held in early October
Whether there are any specific goals Albert might want to achieve before his tenure as Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager for the Caribbean ends.