[kictanet] ICANN wraps up in Nairobi with no security hitches

[alice]

ICANN wraps up in Nairobi with no security hitches
By Rebecca Wanjiku <http://www.computerworld.co.ke/users/rebecca-wanjiku>
12 Mar, 2010

For the ICANN local organizing committee, today is a great day, it is 
the last day of the meeting, which by any standards can be considered a 
success considering the security video produced by ICANN just before the 
meeting.

 >From December last year, the LOC was involved more in answering 
security questions, whether the ruling coalition will break and whether 
the Al Shabab terrorist group will get away from the lucrative piracy 
along the gulf of Aden to attack KICC. No one denied that there were 
security concerns but thats a common denominator for many countries, 
rich or poor.

In retrospect, I think the whole security debate benefitted Kenya and to 
some extent the continent. ICANN meetings have geographical rotation and 
am sure issues of security will come up the next time Africa is meant to 
host the meeting.

For Kenya, the successful meeting is vital, given that the Internet 
Governance Forum will be held in the country next year. If the IGF 
raises the security issues, Kenya can point to ICANN and the security 
video, and the success that was achieved.

To ICANN, the remote participation was good, the online participation 
matrix was shared before the meeting started and the parallel meetings 
in the US now look a bit ill advised.

The 100mb bandwidth at the conference venue was very stable, I did not 
experience any hitches, even during the opening ceremony, where there 
were at least 100 laptops on; everyone at ICANN at least carries a 
laptop but not all were on at the time.

For the ICANN participants who danced at the Carnivore till 4am, it just 
shows that they were enjoying the hospitality and the good things that 
the country has to offer. For those who took the Safaris, that is better 
than the caged animals out there.

The meeting was optional for many people but for those in the new gTLD 
debate, it was important to have the two minutes on the mic in the 
public forum. Even members of the Government Advisory Committee took the 
mic, led by Bertrard De La Chapelle from France, who took the 2 minute 
Mic like 20 times, just to emphasize the importance of public sessions.

For the ICM guys, the Independent Review Committee and those interested 
in matters of transparency in ICANN, the .xxx debate was important and 
their presence is vital, even in the face of security concerns.

So, the meeting had lessons and successes for everyone; with more than 
1000 people picking their conference bags, I think the meeting was a 
success and offers vital lessons to others holding meetings in Nairobi.

Ends