Note of Condolence: Péter Major, a Global Reference in Internet Governance
CGI.br and NIC.br deeply regret the passing of Péter Major, which occurred last Friday (12). The Hungarian physicist was a global reference in Internet governance and a strong supporter of the Brazilian model, which is founded on the multistakeholder approach.
Born in Budapest in 1949, Major graduated from Eötvös Loránd University with a Master’s degree in Physics (1972) and a PhD in Computer Science (1975). He later earned a Master’s degree in Industrial Economics from Corvinus University (1977). With an outstanding international career, he served for 22 years at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, where he retired as Head of the Software for Space Applications Division.
He also held leadership positions in various international bodies: Vice-Chair of the ITU Radiocommunication Advisory Group; Chair and Vice-Chair of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD); and Chair of the Working Group on Improvements to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). He was also a member of the IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group, represented Hungary at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for more than a decade, and taught at the International Business School of Zhenjiang University in China.
At the time of his passing, he was serving as Chair of the CSTD Working Group on Data Governance.
Péter Major is survived by his wife, two daughters, and four grandchildren. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
