Confederation of European Computer User Associations

CECUA Euro-News flash

President's Address

Mr. Chairman,

Thank you for this opportunity to address you at your GAC meeting. CECUA recognizes the important role that ICANN is playing in the development of the Global Information Society and is looking forward to co-operating with ICANN and GAC and to have the opportunity of bringing onboard CECUA's experience and expertise in addressing Information Society issues from the user perspective.

First a few words about CECUA itself.
CECUA is a totally independent umbrella organization of European Computer User Organizations presenting and advocating the interests of European Citizens, Computer Users and Consumers. CECUA was founded quarter of a century ago to bring together computer users across Europe to discuss user issues such as usability and acceptability in a heavily industry dominated environment. This included user interfaces, trans-European networks, standards, open systems, purchasing of IT services to name but a few. During this period CECUA established a good working relationship with the European Union including acting as a consulting body on user issues. This good relationship remains and has now been extended to include other European Union institutions such as the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions.

During this quarter of a century we have seen a tremendous development from the computer being mainly for use by professional users to becoming a household items just like telephone, radio and television. In the network area, development has been no less explosive and dramatic- - from stand-alone computers to being connected through proprietary networks and today being linked via the Internet. During this period, CECUA has successfully managed to transform itself in step with those developments and actively participate in the development of the Global Information Society. During this period the distinction between computer user, citizen and consumer has more or less disappeared. Consequently, CECUA makes no distinction between them anymore. Therefore, I will alternatively refer to the user, the consumer or the citizen, naming one and meaning all.

In recent years CECUA focused on Citizens in the Global Information Society and has given full support to the concept of an Information Society for all as presented by the European Commission. Information Society for all is indeed a very broad issue and true to its origin CECUA is focusing on it from the user perspective. What does from the user perspective really mean? During this short address I am unfortunately not able to go into details. However, let me try to capsulate it into one sentence:

The Information Society for all is not just a question of technology! but one of motivating citizens!

Just how do you motivate the citizens, the users and the consumers?

In essence there is no one single answer to this. CECUA is presently focusing on few but very selected approaches:

· Build trust and confidence
CECUA has published a draft Bill of Rights for the Citizens of the Information Society to stimulate public debate spelling out some basic rights the Citizens should have and which Government and Industry should respect.

· Remove obstacles standing in the way of users' take-up
Use the Bill of Rights as a Reference Platform to identify critical consumer issues in present legislation, issues which have to be addressed or improved upon or they become obstacles.

· Discuss the Information Society in terms people that can understand and react to
Discussion on the Information Society in microeconomic terms in addition to macroeconomic ones. How is the family budget going to manage the costs of buying hardware, software and services? Something else will have to go? What can and will go?

· Integrate consumers into the Information Society by getting them on the Internet.
"The more people on the Net, the faster we'll enjoy the Internet's benefits, both within the EU and Globally. ......." said Commissioner Liikanen in a speech at the London School of Economics on 26 February of this year. Mr Liikanen expresses exactly what CECUA has been fighting for a long time that getting people on the Internet is by far the fastest way of integrating people into the Information Society.

During the rest of my address I will confine myself to the last point: Integrate consumers into the Information Society by getting them on the Internet. How can we get them on to the Internet? They need to be motivated. But how? CECUA believes that being on the Internet has to become a personal thing and a part of a person's lifestyle. Just like having a mobile phone has become a part of our lifestyle both for men and women. How can we make the Internet more personal? Actually there is very little personal about the Internet. However, there is a way to make it personal by association with the Internet address. CECUA's position is that everybody should get a personal name based Internet address. And the European Unions should use the historic moment of having the .EU to give every citizen, private and corporate, a personal .EU Internet address. .EU should become the citizens, both private and corporate, Top Level Domain. Every citizen should have the right to a .EU Internet address which includes his personal-name. The name is something very special to every person, something which belongs to the person during his or her whole life. The Internet personal name should have the same status. This arrangement would make well over two hundred million people eligible for a .EU personal name, ready for e-mailing, web browsing and ultimately e-commerce. CECUA's position is that this is without question the best way to integrate everybody into the Information Society and make it truly a society for all. Once on the Internet they are ready to explore other NET services including e-commerce.

CECUA has presented and advocated its .EU for all Citizens position both in speech and in writing and has received both attention and recognition at the level of the European Commission, European Parliament and Committee of the Regions as well as elsewhere.

Would this not be great? Getting everybody on to the net. This will be nothing less than a repetition of the huge global mobile phone success, a success based on pioneering, foresight and leadership. This is exactly what we need, a new Information Society for all "killer" approach and we need it now. This is not a technical issue, the technology is there. This is a political issue. The politicians have to pave the way and commerce will follow and we all will reap the benefits. CECUA wants to start this discussion and see some action.
Visit our web portal at www.cecua.org and send us an e-mail at jon.thorhallsson@cecua.org or stuart.goold@cecua.org
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for your attention.