Candidate Statement =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=93_?=Emmanuel Vitus for GNSO Council (NCSG)

[DEGBELO Orphée]

Hello,


Brilliant and extremely relevant!

Mr. Emmanuel Vitus has my full support for his candidacy.
Best regards,


Le sam. 17 mai 2025 à 01:59, Emmanuel Vitus <emmanuelvitus at gmail.com> a
écrit :

> *Candidate Statement – Emmanuel Vitus for GNSO Council (NCSG)*
>
>
>
> Dear colleagues,
>
> People often ask, “Who the heck is this Emmanuel Vitus?”
>
>
>
> Fair enough. You’ve probably seen my name pop up on mailing lists, in
> working groups, or silently observing Council meetings. Yes, I am an
> observer of the council and its list. I’ve spent the last few years doing
> just that: listening, learning, figuring out how decisions move in our
> community. Now, I’m ready to serve.
>
> I split my professional life between Lyon, France, where my family
> resides, and Lomé, Togo, where I am deeply involved in digital policy work.
> My core activities (research, advocacy, and consultancy) are primarily
> carried out across the African continent.
>
> As an Internet policy researcher and consultant, I focus on freedom of the
> press, digital rights & privacy, and emerging technologies. I previously
> worked for years in the Netherlands, supporting the relocation of
> journalists at risk from the Global South. Over the past year, I have been
> largely based in Africa, collaborating with civil society organizations
> (CSOs), think tanks, regional institutions, and Regional Economic
> Communities (RECs) on AI governance, national digital strategies, and
> regulatory frameworks. I also manage a Community of Practice (CoP) that
> brings together stakeholders from across one of the RECs to share
> knowledge, coordinate efforts, and strengthen regional dialogues.
>
>
> For the purposes of this election, I formally declare Africa as my ICANN
> geographic region and to the best of my knowledge, I have no conflicts of
> interest that would prevent me from contributing effectively to the GNSO
> Council.
>
> Why me?
>
> I joined ICANN nearly a decade ago and have served in various capacities
> since then. In recent years, I represented the Non-Commercial Stakeholder
> Group (NCSG) in the recently concluded Expedited Policy Development Process
> (EPDP) on Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), Phases 1 and 2,
> contributing actively to the process for over 13 months. I participated
> actively in drafting group recommendations and defending our positions
> during long, technical meetings.
>
> Last year, I submitted public comments on the EPDP Phase 2 report, the
> Next Round Applicant Guidebook, and the Registry Service Provider Handbook.
> I also co-facilitated two NCSG issue forums at ICANN81 in Istanbul and
> ICANN82 in Seattle focused on the next round of gTLDs and the Applicant
> Support Program and I am currently a member of the Latin Script/Diacritics
> Working Group where i represent the NCSG.
>
> As Policy Chair of NPOC, I’ve been deeply involved in policy work daily
> and most of the public comments. But the idea here is not to list tasks or
> take credit for what has been a collective effort. It wouldn’t be fair to
> present what has become part of my regular responsibilities as campaign
> achievements. What matters most to me is continuing to serve with
> consistency, openness, and a sense of duty, whether in formal roles or
> informal support.
>
>
>
> Within ICANN, I’ve served two terms as NPOC Secretariat, one as
> Communications Chair, and now a second term as Policy Chair.  I completed
> both rounds of the ICANN Policy Transition Program Pilot as a pioneer
> fellow and the ICANN Leadership Program in Cancun. Aside from practical
> experience, these are some of the most formal training opportunities
> available to prepare someone to serve as a Councilor, and I was fortunate
> to go through them.
>
> Outside of ICANN, I am the Coordinator of the Secretariat of the West
> Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) and the West Africa School on
> Internet Governance (WASIG), through which we have trained over 1,600
> alumni to date. Most recently, I helped facilitate a new track that brought
> together parliamentarians from across the region during the annual forum,
> in collaboration with regional stakeholders including AFRINIC, ICANN,
> national governments, and civil society actors.
>
> In Togo, I’ve led the national IGF since 2016 and currently serve as
> President of the board of Trustees  of the internet Society Togo chapter.
> Under my leadership, we established the country’s first IXP, supported
> digital rights reforms and advised on several laws, and are currently
> launching a community network that will connect 2,000 people in unconnected
> rural communities.
>
> Last month, I spent my holidays organizing a one-day Universal Acceptance
> (UA) training in Togo. This wasn’t a high-level panel with badges and
> backdrop, it was grassroots. We trained over 840 engineers, developers, and
> students in one day. It became the largest single-day UA training globally,
> even surpassing the attendance of most official ICANN UA sessions. Many of
> the participants had never heard of UA, never had the chance to attend an
> ICANN meeting, or fully understand the languages often used in our
> processes. I did it to bring ICANN home, to those who rarely get the
> invitation. That’s the kind of work I believe Councilors should also help
> champion.
>
>
>
> My humble background includes a bachelor degree in Banking and Finance
> from IAEC University in Lomé (Togo), a Master’s in Journalism and
> Communication from Centrale University in Tunis (Tunisia), a Bachelor’s
> with Honours in Information Systems and Management from the University of
> Central Lancashire in the UK, and a Master’s in Contemporary Diplomacy from
> the University of Malta, where my research, under the supervision of Prof.
> Jovan Kurbalija, explored the intersection of African philosophy,
> particularly Ubuntu and Artificial Intelligence.
>
> The journey toward a PhD in digital policy has already begun. Like many
> who walk this path without guarantees or academic privilege, I carry doubts
> about the framing, the direction, and how to balance research with the
> practical needs of the communities I care about.  I have been fortunate
> with over 18 fellowships within the ecosystem including the prestigious
> google policy fellowship, ICANN fellowships and many others.
>
>
>
> What do I bring as a councilor?
>
>
>
>    1.
>
>    Scale up mentorship into a policy track
>
> I’ve been inspired by the quiet but powerful mentoring done by Kathy
> Kleiman to me and Stephanie to others. Days before ICANN 80, Kathy hosted a
> policy prep session in Kigali that helped many of us understand the History
> of the NCSG, structure and stakes of the work ahead. I want to support her
> and scale this into a formal NCSG Policy Mentorship Trac, offering
> onboarding, peer support, and real-time help for those entering working
> groups and drafting teams.
>
>
>
>    2.
>
>    Democratize the role of Councilor
>
> Too many members see Council work as distant or inaccessible. I want to
> help change that by making the role transparent and approachable. On this
> front, I want to congratulate Farzi, who is doing excellent work reporting
> back to the NCSG community. I fully support that model and will commit to
> doing the same: sharing plain-language updates, hosting regular check-ins,
> and encouraging others to shadow Council activity.
>
>
>
>    3.
>
>    Create a rapid response comment team
>
> We need a small, responsive team to coordinate public comments quickly and
> clearly, especially when timelines are tight for the PC members. This will
> keep our voice consistent and visible in key policy debates.
>
>    4.
>
>    Build a participation dashboard
>
> A simple tool to map engagement across policy workstreams can help us
> recognize contributors, spot gaps, and match mentorship or support where
> it’s needed most, ensuring no one is left out or overwhelmed.
>
>
>
>    5.
>
>    Raise Your Hand, Not Your Jargon" – A Community Signal Wall
>
> Let’s be honest, ICANN-speak can be intimidating. Too many brilliant minds
> stay silent because they’re unsure how to phrase a question or afraid they
> don’t “sound policy enough.” We’re over 700 members in NCSG, yet only a
> handful regularly speak up. That’s not because others don’t care, it’s
> because the space often feels like it’s not made for them. It’s time we
> break that silence with something simple and human. I propose we create a "Community
> Signal Wall" , a shared space where anyone in NCSG can raise a concern,
> flag an issue, ask a question, or share a link. No need to master acronyms.
> No need to “sound like a Councilor.” Just a place where people can post
> under their first name if they want, say “I don’t understand this,” or
> “these matters where I live” with no fear of breaking protocol or being
> reported to the Ombudsman. Let’s build a culture where trying is welcome,
> and speaking up feels safe.
>
>
>
> Give me the chance to try it on my own. I don’t have all the answers (and
> probably never will), but I’ll show up, ask the right questions for you,
> and stay grounded in the values that matter to us as non-commercials. If
> you're open to giving someone like me, a bit unconventional, but deeply
> committed, a chance, I’d be honored to have your vote. It would truly be an
> honor to serve you as a Councilor.
>
> Let’s see what a little fresh air can do!
>
>
>
>
>
>
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