[NCUC-DISCUSS] Candidate statement - Arun Sukumar

[Arun Mohan Sukumar]

Dear all,

The Non-Commercial Users Constituency is more important now than ever as we enter a crucial stage of the IANA transition. The post-IANA ICANN will be directly accountable to the global multi stakeholder community, of which the Asia Pacific constituency accounts for a significant segment. In my capacity as an NCUC member, I have mostly interacted with the IANA transition, although I have had the privilege of learning from colleagues here on concerns regarding Intellectual Property Rights, privacy, freedom of expression, transparency in corporate governance, and access to new gTLDs. The NCUC has performed remarkably, despite the lean resources available at its disposal, to voice and defend user concerns. In running for the NCUC EC seat from Asia-Pacific, I would like to help contribute to the constituency's continued efforts.

I'm a lawyer by training, and before working with two research institutions in India on Internet governance policy, I was briefly a journalist with a national daily. It is the NCUC's spirit of openness and its ability to absorb vastly divergent -- often critical -- views on policy that attracted me to this constituency. It has been very similar to being in an editorial board meeting with a bunch of quibbling journalists who care about the same causes!

Over the last year, I have engaged in modest community-strengthening efforts in India and the Asia Pacific region on Internet governance. I am the vice-chair of the Asia Pacific Internet Governance Forum and the coordinator of CyFy, an annual conference on IG and cyber security hosted by the Observer Researcher Foundation, New Delhi. At CyFy this year, we focused on bringing together nearly 30 researchers and practitioners from Asia and Africa, aided generously by DFID and the Swedish government. Regional consultations are crucial to building consensus in global platforms like ICANN and I hope to continue facilitating discussions among the NCUC Asia Pacific community.

The NCUC itself is in flux with greater representation today from developing  regions. First, the constituency's position within ICANN ought to be consolidated, a task that will require our tweaking the bylaws. With the help of our senior colleagues in the NCUC, a small team of us is currently working on this operation, and hope to have results before Marrakech. Second, the constituency should coordinate its strategies and policies, especially as the post-IANA set up may empower some constituencies over others. How can we best synchronise out divergent views on key issues at ICANN? How do we ensure that our GNSO councillors get the support they need from the community? And finally, how do we expand our reach and funding, to ensure travel support and resources to emerging voices?

I have more questions than answers, but I hope to help pitch in with my input to the NCUC community on these issues, whether as EC representative or not. As for the executive committee, let me add here that I have great faith in the Chair candidate and the other probables from across regions, both in their organisational and strategic abilities. My best to all candidates, especially my colleagues from the Asia Pacific region.

Best,
Arun


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