[AFRINIC-Announce] ASO Use of Empowered Community Powers for ICANN Fundamental Bylaw Change

[AFRINIC Communication]

Dear Colleagues,

On 13 September 2019, the NRO (fulling the role of the Address Supporting Organization – ASO) received an ICANN Board Notice of Board Approval of Fundamental Bylaws Amendment regarding the IANA Naming Function Review Composition.

The notice states:

“Moving forward with the Fundamental Bylaws Amendment Process is in direct response to the request of the ccNSO Council, and also supports the new accountability and oversight mechanisms designed by the community in the IANA Stewardship Transition Process.

The IANA Naming Function Review is an important part of the accountability and oversight of IANA’s performance of the Naming Function and was a key aspect of the Transition proposal. During the pendency of Bylaws’ change process to date, the ccNSO Council was eventually able, through considerable effort and perseverance, to locate a non-ccNSO member ccTLD manager to serve on the current IANA Naming Function Review Team However the ccNSO Council is likely to be unable to complete the required composition of the IANA Naming Function Review Teams in the future unless we continue with this change. Taking this action today is a step forward to making sure that the IANA Naming Function Reviews can proceed in a manner that the ICANN community collectively supports, as will be identified through the Fundamental Bylaws process.”

On 3 November 2019, there was an Approval Action Community Forum (during ICANN’s 66th public meeting in Montreal) related to this proposed Fundamental Bylaw amendment.

In accordance with our role as a Decisional Participant in the Empowered Community, the NRO must consider this Fundamental Bylaws change. The NRO-EC has reviewed the proposed change and believes that this ICANN Bylaws change does not impact the Internet numbers community and allows ICANN to remain accountable to its Bylaws-mandated mechanisms.

Intention to Support
The NRO, in keeping with its adopted ASO Procedures for ICANN Empowered Community Powers, is informing the Numbers community of completion of the community forum at ICANN 66 and the NRO’s intention to support this approval action petition.

Community members that wish to provide feedback on the intended action may email comments to secretariat [at] nro [dot] net.

The NRO will consider input received by Monday 25 November, 2019 in making its final determination whether to support, oppose or abstain in this approval action process.