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<div class="MsoNormal">Dear Colleagues,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">In advance of the ICANN meeting in Delhi next week, I would
like to share with you an overview of the comments ISOC is planning to submit
to the United States Department of Commerce Notice of Inquiry on the mid-term
review of the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between DoC and ICANN.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This position is based on
ISOC principles and builds on past submissions.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>We continue to support a transition to a private sector
model for administration of the domain name system, and we continue to be supportive
of ICANN’s efforts as they evolve to this model.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">When the JPA was created in September 2006 it had two parts:
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</span></span>the agreement itself and </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.25in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
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</span></span>an annex written by the ICANN Board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The annex contained 10 commitments that the Board
voluntarily made to the US government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The present mid-term review was also promised in the JPA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Some, including ICANN itself, seem to think it is possible
that the JPA could be terminated at the mid-term.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Others see obstacles – political and otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>- Irrespective of whether early
termination is possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For three
major reasons, ISOC’s position is that the JPA should continue until its end in
2009 so that ICANN can prepare itself for private sector management.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Briefly those reasons are:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">(1)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>ICANN has
done a lot in the first half of the JPA with respect to advancing work on the
JPA responsibilities in areas such as transparency, to making progress in other
key areas such as IDNs, and working to improve stability and security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The next 18 months will be an opportunity
to put these into operation and ensure that the new mechanisms are adequate to
meet community expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This
is essential for the stability of the organization post-JPA, and is central to
strong engaged community support – a central tenet of the private sector model
envisaged for ICANN.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">(2)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>ICANN needs
to develop a vision or plan for what it will look like and how it will work
without the US government oversight.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>This will need community support and buy-in and must
be developed within ICANN’s processes, following principles of openness,
transparency and accountability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>The community needs to understand how ICANN plans to operate and evolve
in the absence of the USG oversight role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>That needs to be elaborated & test-driven over the next year(s) in
order to be credible, to gain support, and before various constituencies should
be comfortable with ending the JPA.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">(3) In the 2006 DoC proceedings, both ISOC and IAB strongly
expressed the need for all parties to recognize that the protocol parameter
function carried out by ICANN is on behalf of and performed fully under the
IETF’s direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>ICANN’s
responsibilities for these assignments is therefore different from ICANN’s
other responsibilities within the IANA function.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>In the next 18 months, concrete steps must be taken to
recognize this, and to ensure that the IETF’s protocol parameter needs will
continue to be met to its satisfaction, regardless of any changes that may be
made in ICANN’s relationship with the DoC.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">The deadline for making the formal submission to the US
government is February 15, and this summary of our position is provided as
background for our discussions during the ICANN meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am aware that some Chapters and
individual members have already made submissions to the DoC – some not entirely
agreement with the position we are planning to put forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I think it will be important for ISOC
members speaking publicly in Delhi to identify themselves and make it clear
that they speak on their own or their Chapter’s behalf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you do not agree with the formal
ISOC position outlined above, I would also encourage you to state that as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Because of the short time
remaining before the deadline for comments, I don’t think it will be possible
to engage in discussion on the chapter delegates’ list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But I look forward to meeting many of
you at ICANN and welcome any comments you may want to email me off list at <a href="mailto:graham@isoc.org">graham@isoc.org</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Best wishes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Bill Graham</div><div>Global Strategic Engagement</div><div>The Internet Society</div><div><a href="mailto:graham@isoc.org">graham@isoc.org</a></div><div>tel +1.613.231.8543</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></body></html>