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'''Katim S. Touray''' works as an independent international development consultant.<ref>[http://www.gvepinternational.org/en/community/directory/2780 gvepinternational.com]</ref>

'''Katim S. Touray''' works as an independent international development consultant.<ref>[http://www.gvepinternational.org/en/community/directory/2780 gvepinternational.com]</ref>

He was selected by the [[NomCom|Nominating Committee]] to serve on the [[ICANN Board]] from 2008 until 2011.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/biog/touray.htm icann.org]</ref>

He was selected by the [[NomCom|Nominating Committee]] to serve on the [[ICANN Board]] from 2008 until 2011.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/biog/touray.htm icann.org]</ref> He is the co-founder of [[Ummah Digital Limited]], the applicant for the [[.ummah]] New gTLD.<ref>[http://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/viewstatus Application Download, gTLDresult.ICANN.org] Retrieved 17 Feb 2013</ref>

Following [[ICANN]]'s August 2012 announcement that it would be creating an initiative to strengthen the organization's presence in Africa, Katim wrote on [[CircleID]] about the necessity of this initiative, encouraging African stakeholders to get involved with the process. He points out that Africa accounts for only 5 of 1,019 ICANN-accredited registrars, 0 out of 22 gTLD registries, and its ccTLDs are relatively few domains registered. He argues that despite these setbacks, Africa is on the cusp of a major technological growth, with the fastest growing mobile market in the world. Although most subscriptions are for voice services, data service subscriptions are steadily increasing, and there has been explosive growth in financial services like mobile banking and money transfer. He also recalls the trouble that he had convincing ICANN to become involved in regional Internet governance forums and the African Union Heads of State and Government summits, both of which he encouraged, and that the Internet Society ([[ISOC]]), [[AfriNIC]], and the International Telecommunications Union ([[ITU]]) have had a stronger presence in Africa than ICANN, and have been more active in helping build the Internet's capacity on the continent.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120917_calling_africa_icann_new_approach_to_africa_is_a_welcome/ Calling Africa: ICANN's New Approach to Africa Is a Welcome and Significant Opportunity, circleid.com]</ref>

Following [[ICANN]]'s August 2012 announcement that it would be creating an initiative to strengthen the organization's presence in Africa, Katim wrote on [[CircleID]] about the necessity of this initiative, encouraging African stakeholders to get involved with the process. He points out that Africa accounts for only 5 of 1,019 ICANN-accredited registrars, 0 out of 22 gTLD registries, and its ccTLDs are relatively few domains registered. He argues that despite these setbacks, Africa is on the cusp of a major technological growth, with the fastest growing mobile market in the world. Although most subscriptions are for voice services, data service subscriptions are steadily increasing, and there has been explosive growth in financial services like mobile banking and money transfer. He also recalls the trouble that he had convincing ICANN to become involved in regional Internet governance forums and the African Union Heads of State and Government summits, both of which he encouraged, and that the Internet Society ([[ISOC]]), [[AfriNIC]], and the International Telecommunications Union ([[ITU]]) have had a stronger presence in Africa than ICANN, and have been more active in helping build the Internet's capacity on the continent.<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120917_calling_africa_icann_new_approach_to_africa_is_a_welcome/ Calling Africa: ICANN's New Approach to Africa Is a Welcome and Significant Opportunity, circleid.com]</ref>