<html><body><span style="font-family:Arial; color:#000066; font-size:10pt;"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; ">Dear colleagues,</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; ">It is my pleasure to share with you AfICTA Statement on the NTIA announcement on the transition of the IANA Function to the global M/S Community:</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><span style=""><a href="http://aficta.org/index.php/component/content/article/35-latest-news/200-aficta-statement-on-the-proposed-transfer-of-the-iana-function-by-ntia">http://aficta.org/index.php/component/content/article/35-latest-news/200-aficta-statement-on-the-proposed-transfer-of-the-iana-function-by-ntia</a></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><br></div><div><div align="center" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""> </font></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""><img alt="Aficta" height="101" width="106" src="http://aficta.org/images/stories/logo/Aficta.png" style=""></span></font></div><div align="center" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""><b style="">AfICTA statement on the proposed transfer of the IANA function by NTIA</b><o:p style=""></o:p></span></font></div><div align="center" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style="">20.03.2014<o:p style=""></o:p></font></b></div><div align="center" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""> </span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""><a href="http://aficta.org/index.php/home" target="_blank" style="">AfICTA</a> - the Africa Information and Communication Technology Alliance, notes the announcement by the United States’ <a href="http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2014/ntia-announces-intent-transition-key-internet-domain-name-functions" target="_blank" style="">National Telecommunication and Information Agency (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce</a> regarding its role related to the internet <a href="http://www.ntia.doc.gov/page/iana-functions-purchase-order" target="_blank" style="">IANA function</a> and calling for a process of engagement by the global multi-stakeholder community by 2015.<o:p style=""></o:p></span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""> </span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style="">AfICTA<b style=""> </b>is a private sector member of the global multistakeholder community, representing the interests of the ICT sector in Africa; our members will actively participate in the processes leading to a responsible, accountable transition toward actualization of the NTIA announcement.<o:p style=""></o:p></span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""> </span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style="">Africa is the world's second largest continent, and the Internet and online services are vitally important to the socio-economic development of Africa. With African businesses and socio-economic development being increasingly tied to the Internet, the need for a single, robust, stable, secure and trusted internet cannot be over-emphasized.<o:p style=""></o:p></span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""> </span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style="">As the dialogue among stakeholders therefore intensifies in the coming months, great effort on the replacement of the NTIA role should be focused on an Internet that remains accessible, unified, stable, secure and trust-worthy. Whatever solution that will evolve should be balanced and unamenable to takeover by any political or economic interest. It should also be such that it operates under the highest environment of respect for the rule of law.<o:p style=""></o:p></span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""> </span></font></div><div><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style="">Finally, the potential new oversight regime should have inherent features that would enable it to surpass the stewardship of the regime it is to replace. AfICTA’s members look forward to continuing our contribution to a transition that reflects bottom up, multi-stakeholder participation and full engagement. <o:p style=""></o:p></span></font></div><div align="center" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><font color="#000066" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" style=""><span style=""> </span></font></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><br style=""></div></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; "><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt; " mce_style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">--------------------------------------------------------------<br>Jimson Olufuye, fncs, ficma, PhD<br>CEO Kontemporary® <br>Chair, AfICTA<br>connecting African ICT players & <br>... fulfilling the promise of the Digital Age for everyone in Africa.<br><a href="http://www.aficta.org">www.aficta.org</a> <br><a href="http://www.kontemporary.net.ng">www.kontemporary.net.ng</a><br>M: +234 802 3183252<br>Skype: jolufuye </div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt; " mce_style="font-family: verdana, geneva;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: verdana, geneva; font-size: 10pt; " mce_style="font-family: verdana, geneva;">Disclaimer:<br>This email is for the exclusive recipient/s and it may contain confidential materials. If you have received it and it is not meant for you, please alert me @ <a href="mailto:jolufuye@aficta.org">jolufuye@aficta.org</a> or discard at once. AfICTA would not be held liable for any material in this email. Thank you. </div></span></body></html>