RESOLUTION 102 (Minneapolis, 1998)
Management of Internet domain names and
addresses
The
Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union
(Minneapolis, 1998),
conscious
that the
purposes of the Union are, inter alia, to promote, at the
international level, the adoption of a broader approach to the issues of
telecommunications in the global information economy and society, to promote
the extension of the benefits of the new telecommunication technologies to all
the world’s inhabitants and to harmonize the efforts of Member States and
Sector Members in the attainment of those ends,
considering
a) that advances in the
global information infrastructure, including the development of Internet
Protocol (IP)-based networks and especially the Internet, are an issue of
crucial importance to the future, as an important engine for growth in the
world economy in the twenty‑first century;
b) that the private sector
is playing a key role in the expansion of the Internet, for example through
investments in infrastructures and services;
c) that the development of
the Internet must essentially be market-led and driven by private initiative;
d) that the future
management of the registration and allocation of Internet domain names and
addresses must fully reflect the geographical and functional nature of the
Internet, taking into account an equitable balance of interests of all
stakeholders, in particular of businesses and consumers;
e) that Internet domain
names and addresses, and more generally the Internet and global information
networks, must be widely accessible to all citizens without regard to gender,
race, religion or country of residence;
f) that the methods of
allocation of Internet domain names and addresses should not privilege any
country or region of the world to the detriment of others;
g) that the management of
the Internet is a subject of valid international interest and must flow from
full international cooperation,
recognizing
that ITU has
already started to deal with issues related to IP-based networks in general and
the Internet in particular,
emphasizing
a) that the methods of
allocation of global and essential resources such as Internet domain names and
addresses are a subject of concern for both governments and the private sector;
b) that the role of
governments is to provide a clear, consistent and predictable legal framework,
to promote a favourable environment in which global information networks are
interoperable and widely accessible to all citizens, and to ensure adequate
protection of consumer and user interests;
c) that it is in the public
interest that the system that manages Internet domain names and addresses has
transparent and equitable dispute resolution procedures to facilitate the
protection of intellectual property rights;
d) that governments are
expected to promote a fair competitive environment among companies or
organizations responsible for Internet resource allocation,
instructs the Secretary-General
1 to take an active part in the
international discussions and initiatives on the management of Internet domain
names and addresses, which is being led by the private sector, with special
attention to the activities conducted by the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), bearing in mind the purposes of the Union;
2 to report annually to the Council on the
activities undertaken on this subject,
instructs the Council
to take
appropriate measures in order to contribute actively to the above-mentioned
international discussions and initiatives,
invites Member States
1 to participate in and follow the progress
of this work;
2 to increase awareness at national level
among all interested non-governmental parties, and to encourage their
participation in the entities managing Internet domain names and addresses.
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