Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position regarding the negotiations for the future of Internet governance and existence of ICANN; if he will be attending the world summit on the information society in Tunis in November 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27869/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Internet governance is one of the main issues scheduled to be discussed at the forthcoming world summit on the information society in Tunis. At the first world summit in Geneva in December 2003, the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, requested a working group be set up to look at Internet governance. While the working group published its report in July 2005, several outstanding issues remain to be addressed. These issues were further discussed in a preparatory conference in Geneva that ended on Friday, 30 September.

As there is no agreed position across the United Nations on Internet governance it is proposed to hold a further meeting immediately prior to the summit in the hope an agreed position can be endorsed by the summit. A decision on attendance by me at the summit will be made nearer the date of the conference based on the final documents of the conference, the level of attendance from other countries and any possible national strategic advantages that might arise from attendance.