UPU becomes an observer to the GAC

The UPU will sit on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) as an observer.

The role of GAC within the ICANN community is to provide advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, multinational governmental organizations and treaty organizations. The GAC’s area of competence includes matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN’s policies and various laws or international agreements, as well as public policy objectives. By becoming an observer of the GAC, the UPU joins national governments, the European Commission and international organizations including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the African Union in discussions on policy issues related to the Internet.

The UPU’s participation in the GAC’s activities is also in line with the mandate given to the postal sector by the governments and other stakeholders at the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which recognized the postal sector as a key industry to bring the benefits of the Information Society to people around the world. Since then, the UPU has facilitated the development of policies aimed at fostering the adoption of new technologies within the postal sector aimed at the inclusion of remote and underserved areas in the growth of e-business.

In this context, the UPU has also been working to establish a sector-wide Internet Top Level Domain called “.POST” that would help Posts develop an industry specific area on the Internet. The UPU and ICANN are currently engaged in negotiations intended to result in the delegation of the .POST domain to the UPU.

The UPU will sit on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) as an observer.

The role of GAC within the ICANN community is to provide advice on the activities of ICANN as they relate to concerns of governments, multinational governmental organizations and treaty organizations. The GAC’s area of competence includes matters where there may be an interaction between ICANN’s policies and various laws or international agreements, as well as public policy objectives. By becoming an observer of the GAC, the UPU joins national governments, the European Commission and international organizations including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the African Union in discussions on policy issues related to the Internet.

As Edouard DAYAN, the UPU Director General, points out, “by becoming an observer to the GAC, the UPU will be able to share its knowledge as a sector-wide organization with over 130 years of experience in facilitating a global network of communication, logistics and trade.” As the evolution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has sparked a wave of innovation within the postal sector, there is an increased convergence of policies and regulations for physical and digital communication. In this regard, greater cooperation with the Internet community should ensure that the postal sector continues to be relevant in the digital era.

The UPU’s participation in the GAC’s activities is also in line with the mandate given to the postal sector by the governments and other stakeholders at the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which recognized the postal sector as a key industry to bring the benefits of the Information Society to people around the world. Since then, the UPU has facilitated the development of policies aimed at fostering the adoption of new technologies within the postal sector aimed at the inclusion of remote and underserved areas in the growth of e-business.

In this context, the UPU has also been working to establish a sector-wide Internet Top Level Domain called “.POST” that would help Posts develop an industry specific area on the Internet. The UPU and ICANN are currently engaged in negotiations intended to result in the delegation of the .POST domain to the UPU.