Durante il 34esimo incontro di ICANN alla Citta' del Messico, il Presidente di ICANN Paul Twomey ha dichiarato che lasciera' ICANN con la fine del suo mandato. Peter Dengate Thrush, Chairman del Board ha affermato che il contributo di Paul e' stato straordinario durante gli anni della sua attivita', anche Vint Cerf ha riconosciuto l'influenza di Paul ed espresso la sua riconoscenza per il contributo dato nel processo dell'evoluzione di ICANN. Lynn St Amour, CEO della Internet Society (ISOC) ha dichiarato che grazie a Paul ICANN e' divenuta una organizzazione piu' forte.

Stefano Trumpy, rappresentante del governo italiano nel GAC e Presidente del capitolo italiano della Internet Society (ISOC) ha commentato:

"Durante il suo lungo mandato di presidenza, Paul Towmey ha fatto di ICANN il miglior esempio di multistekeholderismo nel panorama della Internet Governance; grazie a Paul per il servizio che ha reso a tutti gli utenti e tanti auguri per il suo futuro"

Fonte della notizia:
ICANN's President and CEO Announces Departure

Il Comunicato di Paul Twomey, Presidente e CEO di ICANN

ICANN MEXICO
Date:  Monday, 2 March, 2009 09:00 - 10:30

"So I have been involved with ICANN now for 12 years. In its formation, I was the chair of the GAC for four years. I have been President now for six years. And as I said, I told the board last year that it was not my intention to renew another three-year contract for a couple of reasons. Frankly, at a personal level, I would like the opportunity to do -- in my career, to have another senior leadership position in a private or international entity. And at the age of 47, it is probably a good time to think about another career change and have that opportunity.

Secondly, if I were to renew for another three years, I would end up being President for ten and I just don't think we live in a time of the world where that sort of length of tenure really works. I think organizations need change.  And so I didn't think it was really healthy for the organization to have a President for ten years. I didn't think it was healthy for me to be President for ten years in all sorts of ways. And so I said to the board last year, I'm not willing to renew for another three years.

But we all recognized and I recognized that 2009 is an incredibly important year, and in some respects, it is a special year.  We have three really major issues underway which we need to coordinate.  We need to coordinate the new gTLDs, the country code issues and also looking at the conclusion of the Joint Project Agreement with the Department of Commerce.

So after discussion, which has been a very fruitful, open -- and I would have to say to the board members a very best-practice-type conversation, I really appreciated it, I have agreed to stay on with ICANN until the end of 2009. The board has asked me to stay beyond my term of the 30th of June until they find a successor and then to have a period of handover and transition to the new President and CEO.

The board has also asked me to continue providing leadership in managing the new gTLD, IDN ccTLD processes and the Joint Project Agreement. But let's be quite clear when the new President and CEO is appointed, he or she is the boss.

During the transition period, I shall be appointed to the new position of Senior President and this plan has been developed in close collaboration and in support between the board and myself.

I think working together we've built an impressive organization, unique in the international governance arena, not just in the Internet. We are operationally and financially secure. We are on the cusp of many major achievements that will change the Internet forever. Internationalized domain names and gTLDs are just two I know we are consumed with at the moment.

Our policy processes are consistent and deliver a huge and complex body of work, and the management of that work involves -- actually is the case for all of us, extraordinary hours and dedication.

The IANA function is close to a standard of excellence the community deserves and expects and has seen an incredible turn around in recent years of serving the needs of the Internet community.

We should be enormously proud of this collective achievement. And if I look back over the last ten years, I can't believe how far the organization has come.  And why?  Because it's your work, your work as the community that has got us to this point.

And I think we should all take great pride in what we have helped build. So the board has now commenced a search process for a new President and CEO. I will have the pleasure of your company through to the end of 2009.  Indeed, I'm going to enjoy that.

It is important for you to know that we will continue to work as business as usual. Our work continues and the executive leadership continues to manage this in our usual way.

It is an important message. I'm wanting to make this announcement now, willing to make this announcement now because we just want to clear the decks. We have a lot of work to do this year. It is business as usual. We have got this well-managed process for handling the transition, and I'm fully committed to that being a good and successful transition to the new President and CEO. But it is business as usual, lots of things to do.

So in the short-term, we have a meeting to run and that includes support -- not only people here but people who are being supported who are not here but are virtually and online.

We have an extraordinary work program this year at the cutting edge of the Internet's innovation. And I look forward to working with you throughout this year on those exciting developments."