Neu: 2002-03-14 Contents of this issue:
1. Commission Adjourns ======================================================================== March 14th, 2002 1. Commission Adjourns: Judge David Ongley heading the Commission of Inquiry into e mail and internet services on Niue has adjourned hearings on the island. The final witnesses giving evidence were the technical manager of the internet society Richard St Clair and MP's Mrs O'Love Jacobsen and Mr Terry Coe. The politicians told the commission they were Cabinet members in 1999 when they agreed to a memorandum of understanding which recognised the Internet Users Society as the country code domain name managers for dot NU. They said they were happy with the arrangement because an overseas investor was going to introduce a global communications service at no charge to the government and was offering free connectivity to users. The dot NU had been deisngated to the Internet Users Society in 1997 by IANA. During the four day hearing it has been revealed that neither the government or IUS-N has "ownership" of the dotNU country code top level domain name and principals of top level delegation alleged to have been adopted as policy by ICANN remained a discussion paper. The government of Niue has applied for re-delegation of the domain name to the Niue Information Technology Committee but ICANN has still yet to report on the application which was filed in 2000. Judge Ongley said the commission had adjourned until June when overseas witnesses from Australia and the US will be called to give evidence in New Zealand. It could be several months before a draft paper is circulated for comments. He told a packed courtoom on Niue that he hoped the evidence presented had helped to quash rumours and suspicion about many of the services but added that the outcome may or may not result in any added benefits to the island. __END__
