Domain names administration and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, administration of the Internet Root Server system, telecommunications infrastructure, and spam were some of the issues discussed at the second meeting of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG), held at the United Nations in Geneva, February 14-18, 2005.
"We discussed vertical and horizontal issues and sought to identify public policy issues relevant to Internet Governance," Mr. Charles Sha'ban, executive director of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) Regional Office said.
"After extensive consultations, we managed to develop a joint understanding on certain issues in order to provide a basis for the ongoing work of the Group," he added.
Mr. Sha'ban is among the 40 members appointed to the UN WGIG by Secretary-General Kofi Annan last November. The members come from different sectors - governments, the private sector, and civil society - to represent all regions of the world.
The WGIG held its first meeting from November 23-25, 2004, in Geneva. The Working Group was established at the request of the United Nations Member States during the first phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in December 2003. The WGIG is asked to present the result of its work in a report for consideration and appropriate action for the second phase of the WSIS, which will be held in Tunis, November 2005.
The WGIG decided on a preliminary draft structure for its report and set out a time frame for its work. The Group also moved closer to a common understanding of a working definition on Internet Governance.
The WGIG will hold its third meeting in Geneva from April 18- 20, 2005. The meeting will discuss issues relating to the management of critical internet resources, use of the internet and development aspects of Internet Governance.
Complete information about the meeting can be found at www.wgig.org