According to a report in Moroccoworldnews.com, The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has decided to postpone its 52nd meeting scheduled to take place in Marrakech from February 8-12.
“ICANN is an international entity that coordinates the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions, which are key technical services critical to the continued operations of the Internet’s underlying address book, the Domain Name System (DNS).”
The article is citing another publication, Le360, that ICANN made the decision to postpone the meeting because of “the spread of the Ebola virus and after the Moroccan government stressed the need to avoid organizing major gatherings of people coming from different countries.”
“The decision to postpone the event by the ICANN staff was needed after the Moroccan government has itself stressed the risk of major global gatherings because of the epidemic,” a source from ICANN was quoted by Le360 as saying.
I do not see any announcement on ICANN’s site or in its news feed.
ICANN has moved meetings in the past, the last being one scheduled in the Middle East which was switched to Singapore due to conflict.
It would seem very usual for ICANN to postpone the meeting to other dates.
We will keep on eye on ICANN for an official announcement.
If memory serves, the 2011 meeting was originally scheduled for Amman Jordan, not Egypt, but was moved to Singapore.
Smart decision.
As voted at http://domaingang.com/domain-news/morocco-icann52-middle-ebola-crisis/
North africa and subsaharan africa are separated by a HUGE desert called sahara and massive mountains called the atlas mountains . Thinking by continents is stupid , both japan and afghanistan are in asia . For the government of morocco it doesn’t want events ” involving the touched african countries that are guinea , sierra leone and liberia ” . Please send this message to whoever is responsible ( ebola is in new york and spain and not in morocco )
They are running out of time, they should move the meeting to their new, future home – Switzerland.
They want to move to Switzerland so they can be without anymore ‘checks and balances’. And, where else would be better place to move the hundreds of millions in the bank. Is it ironic that Obama is punishing American corporations that want to legally move to Europe. But, Obama is holding the door open for Icann to move to Switzerland at the future expense of internet users.
Since, Icann is a ‘not-for-profit’ 🙂 U.S. corporation, maybe they should donate a million (chump change for them) for Ebola assistance instead of spending it on the Feb. meeting.
No. That would be too much of an humanitarian gesture for a global ‘not for profit’ organization.
@Meyer,
I read, and re-read your comment, feverishly trying to find one word I disagreed with, and there was none.
Therefore, you earned my rare, but much coveted 100% Agreement stamp! Great comment.
North africa and subsaharan africa are separated by a HUGE desert caled sahara and massive mountains called the atlas mountains . Thinking by continents is stupid , both japan and afghanistan are in asia . For the government of morocco it doesn’t want events ” involving the touched african countries that are guinea , sierra leone and liberia ” . Please send this message to whoever is responsible ( ebola is in new york and spain and not in morocco )
Nobody said Ebola is in Morocco. Just how are attendees going to Marrakesh, by camel? They take planes. In the heart of the flu season no less, ICANN52 looks destined to be skipped.
Article originated from http://www.le360.ma/fr/economie/ebola-un-autre-grand-evenement-annule-au-maroc-23745
French translation:
The World Association which manages internet domain names (ICANN) has canceled an event that would bring together 3,000 people in Marrakesh because of the risk of spread of Ebola.
The cancellation of the Africa Cup of Nations because of the risk of Ebola continues to be felt. And it should not take long to turn into a domino effect. This weekend ICANN (ICANN) has canceled a big event, originally scheduled for February 8 to 12 in Marrakech. This global organization that manages Internet domain names must meet some 3,000 delegates from UN member countries for its congress in Morocco. “The decision to postpone the event by the ICANN staff was needed after the Moroccan government has itself focused on the risk of major global groups because of the epidemic,” said a source at Le360 close to the organization. He added: “Do not be surprised if other organizations refer to events that had been planned in Morocco.”
Such cancellations are adding to the problems that tourism operators in the Red City live. In addition to the Ebola panic, triggered by the government, terrorist threats have earned us a red rating on some tourist maps. The professionals do not know how to (seven) saint turn.