ICANN Board Refuses to Confirm Public Representation - At its quarterly meeting in Ghana, the Board of Directors for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the non-profit manager of key Internet systems, declined to preserve nine seats on its Board devoted to representing the public interest in ICANN's activities. Without any action, the nine seats are expected to vanish, leaving ICANN without any public voice in its activities. As a long-time advocate of the public interest in ICANN, CDT is disheartened by ICANN's continued failure to affirm the importance of public representation, and is deeply concerned that ICANN's credibility as a global manager will suffer as a result. Progress was made in other areas at the meeting, however, as the Board resolved to undertake a thorough examination of the ICANN's mission and the limits of its authority. March 18, 2002