[Chapter-delegates] NTIA-ICANN Announcement ends JPA, reflects key ISOC points

[Bill Graham]

All,

Today, the NTIA and ICANN  jointly announced that they have entered  
into a new kind of relationship, and that the Joint Project Agreement  
would be coming to an end.  As you know, the Internet Society and many  
of its members have been consistent contributors to and supporters of  
the ICANN processes.  We also consulted with all members before  
preparing the ISOC response to the United States Government's Notice  
of Inquiry earlier this year.  Once again, many thanks to those of you  
who responded.

In our submission to the NTIA's public input to the NTIA's "Assessment  
of the Transition of the Technical Coordination and Management of the  
Internet's Domain Name and Addressing System," ISOC strongly advocated  
a renewal of ICANN's commitment to acting as a steward of the shared  
global resource that is the domain name system.  We specifically  
recommended that ICANN needs to emphasize transparency, stakeholder  
participation, inclusive dialog, evidence-based decision making  
processes, complaint/response/dispute resolution and accountability.  
The announcement today by NTIA and ICANN closely reflects many points  
made in the Internet Society's response.

The Internet Society believes the new framework properly:

*	Puts responsibility squarely on the ICANN community for improving  
processes around the Internet addressing system.

*	Endorses the private-sector led, bottom-up, multistakeholder model  
that has guided the development and management of other critical  
aspects of the Internet, and again

*	Emphasizes ICANN's role of steward and its obligation to act in the  
public interest.

We believe that today's announcement is a positive step forward, and  
we have gone on record making that point. ISOC's complete public  
statement is below. Additional information is available at:

http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/community/icann.shtml

The U.S. Dept. of Commerce's NTIA announcement and links to the  
"Affirmations of Commitments" can be found here:

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press/2009/ICANN_Affirmation_090930.html

ICANN's web page on the announcement is at:

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press/2009/ICANN_Affirmation_090930.html

Today's announcement signals the beginning of a lot of hard work that  
starts now.  The value of the commitments made by both parties can  
only be judged by how they are implemented, and the benefit ICANN  
brings to the world's Internet users.  ISOC members can do much to  
help ICANN to succeed, and I look forward to working with you to make  
that happen.  The Internet Society remains committed to working with  
ICANN, and other stakeholders, to develop and implement the detailed  
and balanced mechanisms needed to ensure openness, accountability and  
the overall effectiveness of this vital organization.

Sincerely,

Bill

+++

INTERNET SOCIETY COMMENDS NEW FRAMEWORK ANNOUNCED BY ICANN AND U.S.  
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

ICANN and DOC help move Internet's domain name and addressing system  
towards increased transparency and accountability

Washington, D.C., USA and GENEVA, Switzerland--30 September 2009--The  
Internet Society today applaud the United States Department of  
Commerce (DOC) and ICANN's (the Internet Corporation for Assigned  
Names and Numbers) announcement of a new framework as an historic  
turning point in how the Internet's all-important addressing system is  
governed.

"We congratulate the US Government for taking this next step in line  
with its landmark 1998 Policy on the Management of Internet Names and  
Addresses. At the same time we salute the efforts of ICANN and it's  
many supporters for their dedication to ensuring the transition of the  
technical coordination and management of the Internet's domain name  
system to a public sector led organization," said Lynn St. Amour,  
President and CEO of the Internet Society. "The Internet Society is  
particularly pleased that both parties emphasized ICANN's role as a  
steward of the public interest. The domain name system ICANN  
administers is intended to benefit Internet users around the world. We  
look forward to working with ICANN to ensure it can fulfill the  
commitments announced today."

The announcement today by DOC and ICANN reflects many points made in  
the Internet Society's response in June to the request for public  
input to the NTIA's "Assessment of the Transition of the Technical  
Coordination and Management of the Internet's Domain Name and  
Addressing System." In its submission, the Internet Society (ISOC)  
called for an end to the Joint Project Agreement that has tied ICANN  
to the US Government since its inception in 1998.

"With commitments like the ones announced today by ICANN and DOC, the  
hard work begins now. It is vital for ICANN to develop and implement  
detailed and balanced mechanisms to ensure openness and  
accountability," said Bill Graham, leader of Strategic Global  
Engagement for the Internet Society. "We believe ICANN and people  
involved in its processes now have the tools and incentives to make it  
an effective and trusted organization."

In its submission to the DOC, ISOC specifically recommended that ICANN  
emphasize transparency, stakeholder participation, inclusive dialog,  
evidence-based decision making processes, complaint/response/dispute  
resolution and accountability. The Internet Society and many of its  
members have been consistent contributors to and supporters of the  
ICANN processes. Additional information is available at:

http://www.isoc.org/pubpolpillar/community/icann.shtml

About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 to  
provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and  
policy. With offices in Washington, D.C., and Geneva, Switzerland, it  
is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of  
the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world. More  
information is available at: http://InternetSociety.org