At-Large Structure Application from the Hong Kong Internet Forum (HKIF)

Contact Information

1. Organization's Name: Hong Kong Internet Forum (HKIF)
2. Organization's email address: sec@xxxxx (email address to the secretary of HKIF)
3. Organization's phone number (include country/city codes): +852 9120 7940
4. Organization's address (location and postal address, if different):
   433 Central Building
   Pedder Street
   Central
   Hong Kong
5. Organization's website (URL) (if available): http://www.hkif.org (under construction)
6. Organization's contact for ALS application (email, phone, address):
   Paul Chow
   sec@xxxxx
   +852 9120 7940

Description

1. Is your organization constituted so that participation by individual Internet users who are citizens or residents of countries within the Geographic Region in which your organization is based will predominate in your organization's operation?
   Yes. HKIF is set up primarily for participation by individual Internet users in Hong Kong in the development of policies and technical issues related to the use and applications of Internet.
2. Describe your organization's constituents/membership (number, citizenship/location, defining characteristic - e.g. profession for professional societies):
   Hong Kong Internet Forum (HKIF) was set up only recently and has about 50 members. These initial members are residents in Hong Kong. Some of them are engaged in the legal profession, information technology industry and Internet Service Provider business. Our intention is to encourage participation by a broader spectrum of individual Internet users covering all walks of life.
3. Explain the eligibility requirements (if any) for your organization's constituents/membership (if you provide a written application for admission as a member, you may attach a copy):
   Members have to be residents in Hong Kong with an interest in the development and use of Internet.
4. In what language/s does your organization conduct its business?
   Chinese (Cantonese) and English.
5. Provide support for the statement that your organization is self-supporting (by answering "yes" you confirm that it will not rely on ICANN for funding):
   Yes.
6. Describe your organization's structure (e.g. governing and decision-making bodies and processes):
   The HKIF Council consists of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, secretary, treasurer and at least 3 other Council members. The governing processes are laid down in Section 5 of the ByLaws of HKIF.
7. Does your organization commit to supporting its individual constituents'/membership's informed participation in ICANN?
   Yes. HKIF is commit to supporting its individual constituents'/membership's informed participation in ICANN
8. Describe how your organization keeps its constituents/membership informed about, and enables them to participate in, decisions regarding issues of interest:
   HKIF maintains a website (under construction) on which all issues of interest are posted for members' dissemination. Discussions on issues can take place via the forum provided on the web site or via email. Email lists will be created for members and for committees/task forces set up to address specific issues at hand to enable timely discussion among the members.
9. Does your organization post on the Internet publicly-accessible, current information about your organization's goals, structure, description of constituent group(s)/membership, working mechanisms, leadership, and contact(s) (if this information currently is available, provide URLs)?
   Yes. Our website (url: http://www.hkif.org), currently under construction, will post information about the organization's goals, structure, description of constituent group(s)/membership, working mechanisms, leadership, and contact(s)
10. Provide information on your organization's leadership (leaders' names, positions, emails):
    Chairman: Christopher To (christopher@xxxxx)
    Vice-Chairman: Gary Soo (gary@xxxxx)
    Secretary: Paul Chow (paul@xxxxx)

Objectives

1. What is your organization's primary goal or mission (please attach any mission or policy statement for your organization, if in writing, or provide a URL, if posted):
   Our objectives are
   
   1. to foster the increasing awareness and knowledge of individual Internet users in Hong Kong on use of Internet and its applications to enhance the life of individual users, social ethics and social harmony;
   2. to provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and views on the development of Internet policies, infrastructure, technologies, standards and applications among Internet users, and provide effective channels for the dissemination of such information;
   3. to represent the views and needs of Hong Kong Internet users in policy development and development of standards, technical infrastructure and its administration by ICANN and other bodies related to the Internet
   4. to provide a forum and promote and encourage Hong Kong Internet users' participation and involvement in ICANN and other bodies related to the Internet in an open and transparent manner;
   5. to cooperate with other Internet institutions to promote the healthy development of the Internet, global collaboration to achieve such and in particular the establishment and operation of APRALO;
   6. to act as an impartial advisor to the government(s), related Internet institutions, and the public on matters of significant interest to Hong Kong people in relation to the development of Internet policies, international cooperation, technical infrastructure and its administration
2. What ICANN-related issues currently are of interest to your organization's constituents/membership:
   The following issues are of interest to HKIF:
   - Internationalised TLD
   - WHOIS and Personal Data Privacy
   - Process to approve new gTLDs and sTLDs
   - Future direction of the operations of IANA
   - Formation of APRALO
   - Internet Governance policies and development
3. If formed, will your organization commit to assisting the Regional At-Large Organization (RALO) for the region in which your organization is based in performing its function?
   Yes.

Signature

Paul Chow
Secretary of HKIF