[AfrICANN-discuss] Now is the time to start planning transition - ICANN Makes Presentation to Midterm Review Public Meeting

[Anne-Rachel Inné]

ICANN Makes Presentation to Midterm Review Public Meeting
Now is the time to start planning transition

28 February 2008

WASHINGTON, DC: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers made its presentation on the Midterm Review of the Joint
Project Agreement (JPA) between itself and the United States
Department of Commerce at a public meeting held today in Washington,
DC.

"I think that after almost 10 years of experience of this model the
question before us is very stark: Are we going to complete the White
Paper's vision of private sector management of the Internet's system
of unique identifiers? I believe the overwhelming view from virtually
all participants is that transition is the goal and the interest is in
settling how we get there," ICANN Chair Peter Dengate Thrush said.

Today's public meeting was held to discuss the written submissions
that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
had received during its recently concluded public comment period on
the JPA between the U.S. Department of Commerce and ICANN. The JPA was
signed in September 2006, is due to conclude in September 2009 and was
scheduled for a Midterm Review at this point.

In his presentation the Chairman said he would ask the President's
Strategy Committee to outline a plan for developing this transition
framework. They will meet in April and make a first presentation
involving the community, starting a process for further engagement
with the community at the ICANN meeting in Paris in June. The process
will be guided by the input ICANN has received so far from its own
consultations, and the analysis of the comments surveyed in this
Review.

"The U.S. government has been and remains a staunch advocate for an
Internet that is based on values of freedom, enterprise and crucially
coordination — not control. Now, there are final steps to be taken to
make this a reality and to celebrate an enlightened U.S. policy under
two administrations to transition to private sector management of the
domain name system.

"We all now need to work together over the 18 months remaining in the
JPA to finalize the model for the long term," Dengate Thrush said.

The complete statement to the public meeting is available on the ICANN
website at http://www.icann.org/jpa/presentation-to-jpa-midterm-review-public-meeting-28feb08.pdf
[PDF, 201K].

About ICANN:

ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's
system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and
country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of
Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the
Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the
Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to
develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and
stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit
non-profit company. For more information please visit: www.icann.org .

Media Contacts:

Jason Keenan
Media Adviser, ICANN
Ph: +1 310 382 4004
E: jason.keenan at icann.org

International: Andrew Robertson
Edelman (London)
Ph: +44 7921 588 770
E: andrew.robertson at edelman.com


-- 
Anne-Rachel Inne