AP* participation in ICANN and APNO
      During AP*retreat meeting, there was discussion about AP* participation in ICANN, APRICOT and APNO. Prof. Kilnam Chon suggested to set the way to increase the AP* membership in ICANN and APNO. He mentioned that, we have good support from APRICOT. It is necessary to make this conference successful and more useful. APRICOT is educational forum that provides frank discussion on skills, policies and technologies. This is critical for smooth operation of the Internet’snetworks and services infrastructure both regionally and internationally. By providing a neutral forum for different communities of interest together and discuss common problems, local solutions and policies that are relevant to the region (APINA, APIA, APNG,APCERT etc.) can be developed. Prof.Kilnam also suggested that we should consider to establish our own ICAAN asia.

     Mr.Izumi Aizu provided the information about ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), Yokohama Meeting and Election. In Yokohama meeting the main topics discussed were about large number of election and introduction of Top-Level Domains.In this meeting the Names Council of DNSO (Domain Name Supporting Organization) recommended that we should introduce new TLDs but after their evaluation. After open meeting discussion, ICANN board approved the proposal. Board also recommended a two-person committee to coordinate with new TLDs.

Outreach and Awareness
     About outreach activities group agreed to organize workshops and seminars to improve outreach and awareness. Dr.Kanchana suggested that, its better to have our own IT Network Center instead of some other organizations to organize training and workshops. This IT Center could help all AP organizations. This IT training center could be a mobile training center. We need to get information about those organizations that could support us to get equipment for training center.

     Mr. Peter de Blanc explained that outreach is one project. UNDP and World Bank has enough funding to work on Internet education and related activities. To organize training and workshops on Internet governance, we could ask UNDP and other organizations to provide money for these projects.

     Prof.Kilnam Chon suggests to Dr. Kanchana to propose AIT to establish IT Network Center .The group agreed on this proposal and they insured her their support for IT center. Regarding the training issue Dr.Kanchana presented the basic idea for network technology training center.

     Mr.Izumi Aizu suggested that we should focus training more engineers. We need to prepare training materials as training modules and we need three or four more experts per topic. The important thing is that we should work on those issues that are ignored by other organizations.

     The group agreed that AP* could use this center as AP* secretariat or it could be an umbrella secretariat for all AP organizations to contact in the region. AP* can help and support in advertising the issues and can collaborate to form groups. For all these things we need a strong coordination in Asia Pacific.

     The participants also discussed that as AP* this is our responsibility to check that which geographical area is not covered. We need to that know which other organizations are working on internet related issues. What types of activities on awareness are not being covered? AP* should think and do a brainstorming session to conduct the awareness training.

DNSO, PSO, ICANN Asia:
     Prof.Kilnam Chon informed the meeting participants that Center has approached ICANN CEO to work on relationships between ccTLD and ICANN. We should try to put at least one representation in PSO. South Asia pacific participation in PSO will be very important .If we could make some arrangements to coordinate with DNSO for representation of gtlds and If there is no possibility to get membership in PSO then why should we don’t try to establish our own ASO and DNSO.Like Japan, Korea, Australia is more visible on Primary level. Mostly Domain’s PSO belongs to America, Europe, IKF, ITCP. In ICANN Board Japan and Korea have five representatives. Our concern is to get some representation in ICANN leadership for Asia Pacific region and we should try to focus on those committee, which are representing ICANN on different level.

     The meeting also agreed that we need to find some person who could appreciate the basic problem and also present these problems in ICANN. Participants also discussed that all these things should be planed before the election. Then we could be able to give our inputs. It should be fair voting and local organizations should have the right to choose their representatives.

New gTLDs including .asia
      On gTLDs issue Dr.Kanchana asked for comparison between Asia and Europe regarding TLDs. In response to her question Ms.YJ Park mentioned that Sep.18-19 2000 center meeting a document was circulated, which explains, that Asia is behind Europe in many aspects. For example Europe is well organized. It has strong budget and strong legal support and also has regular legal workshops. It has good relations with ICANN,EU, WIPO, ITU and ESTI. On the other hand Asia does not have secretariat. It has very small budget, few stable participants and it has no specialized lawyers except Japan. She said that this is the time we have to take initiative for Asia. We could invite private companies to share the cost or to fund our outreach program.

     In response to Ms.YJ park , Mr.Peter de Blanc said that to compete with Europe we need to revise our policies. Money is not solution to establish. asia. In Japan There are many sponsors to fund outreach actives. The important thing is that how to play? We need to design some basic infrastructure. AP has potential to have its own. asia. We have ICANN to support our activities.

     Prof.Kilnam suggested that we are not sure about .asia whether it will be accepted or not.The idea is quite premature. We need to write one paper on this issue and we should requestPeter de Blanc for help. Mr.Peter de Blanc said that i am agreed but we need to arrange a one-day workshop to discuss on this issue. We need to prepare some documents. Without strong Point we could not argue with ICANN to make polices and do implementation like Center. Prof.Kilnam Chon also suggested that for this meeting we should also try to invite GAC representative. The meeting agreed to arrange a ccTLD meeting at least once a year and non_members can also participate in this meeting. The group also agreed to contact ICANN to invite the GAC people in this meeting.

Funding:
      Dr.Kanchana informed the participants that we have US$50,000 a generous contribution from Prof.Toru Takahshi for AP*. We will use this money to conduct Internet seminars, training and workshops in region.We ‘ll use 50% of the money for training center. 25% money is used as an AP* secretariat funding to support the AP* activities and the rest ,we could use for outreach activities. A committee was formed to handle the funding issues.The committee members are DR.Kanchana (treasure) Prof.Kilnam Chon and Prof.Hualin Qian.

     Prof.Kilnam requested to Mr.Peter de Blanc and or Prof.TORU to help for fund raising .He requested both person to discuss with NSI to fund AP* and IT training center.