Re: [icann-eu] [FYI] WHO to sue ICANN over .health?

[Marc Schneiders <marc@schneiders.org>]

On Sun, 19 Nov 2000, at 23:05 [=GMT+0100], Thomas Roessler wrote:

> On Nov 17, the WHO issued a statement on ICANN's TLD decisions which
> is short enough to be quoted here in its entirety.
> 
> <http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/state2000-10.html>:
> 
> >DOT.HEALTH
> 
> >WHO has learned via wire reports that our application for a
> >top-level domain of Dot.Health has been rejected. We are still
> >trying to get confirmation of this directly from ICANN. We are
> >extremely disappointed with this outcome, if this is confirmed, and
> >are eagerly awaiting the rationale of this decision, especially in
> >light of decisions made to grant other TLDs. We will begin
> >immediately to explore ways of recourse. WHO feels that the quality
> >and standard of health information on the Internet, and the
> >guarantees that this can give to "consumers", can only benefit from
> >a Dot.Health TLD.

Reading this my dislike of some UN organisations is much reinforced.
First WIPO puts itself up as the internet guardian of human speech in
the interest of business. Now we see the arrogance with which the WHO
presents itself as a sort of health-censor. I find it sickening. Have
they never heard of conflicting opinions among medical scientists?
What forces are there behind the WHO?

Not granting .HEALTH was a most wise decision. Wiser even than I was
able to see before I read the above.

-- 
Marc Schneiders (rest in header)