ccTLDs Call on ICANN to Maintain RFC 1591

["J. William Semich (NIC JWS7)" <bsemich@mail.nu>]

November 6, 1998

TO: Esther Dyson, Interim President, ICANN
    Michael M. Roberts, Interim President and CEO 
    ICANN Directors

From: International Association of Top Level Domains (IATLD)

Dear Chairperson Dyson and President Roberts:

So far 62 ccTLDs have answered "YES" to the question:  "Will you sign on
to support RFC 1591?"

As of today, Friday, November 6, 1998, the following 62 ccTLDs have
publicly stated support for using RFC 1591 as the starting point or
basis for ICANN's continuing relationship with ccTLDs by including RFC
1591 in ICANN's bylaws.

As ICANN's initial response to the US Department of Commerce  NTIA's
request for additional information about ICANN's intentions with respect
to ccTLDs, the IATLD as well as the administrators for these 62 ccTLDs
ask ICANN to include the following language in its bylaws:

"The ICANN agrees to continue to use RFC 1591 
(http://info.internet.isi.edu:80/in-notes/rfc/files/rfc1591.txt) 
for any and all actions it takes, or any role it assumes, with regard to
the two-letter ISO 3166 TLDs commonly known as Country Code TLDs
(ccTLDs)."

We are asking for nothing more than the recognition and maintenance of
the current system under which all ccTLDs have agreed to operate, as
required by IANA, as a first requirement of receiving a ccTLD
assignment. (see http://www.iana.org/cctld.html, "It is important that
all TLD administrators follow the guidelines of RFC 1591.  TLD
administrators should treat this stewardship responsibility as a service
to the global Internet community."). 

By doing so, ICANN can assure international continuity and stability in
the Internet's domain name space.

Administrators for the following international domain name registries
(ccTLDs) support inclusion of RFC 1591 in ICANN's bylaws:

.AI - Anguilla
.AM - Armenia (RIPE/CENTR Member)
.BI - Republic of Burundi
.BO - Bolivia
.BR - Brazil
*.CC - Cocos & Keeling Islands
.CD - Democratic Republic of the Congo
.CG - Republic of the Congo
.CL -  Chile
.CN - China
.CR - Costa Rica
.CV - Cape Verde Islands
*.DO - Dominican Republic
.DZ - Algeria
.EG - Egypt
.GD - Grenada
.GF - French Guiana
*.GG - Guernsey
.GH - Ghana
.GM - The Gambia, West Africa
*.GS - South Georgia and Sandwich Islands
.GT - Guatemala
.HN - Honduras
*.JE - Jersey
.KW - Kuwait
.KZ - Kazakhstan
.LC - Saint Lucia
.LR - Liberia
.LS - Lesotho
.LY - Libya
.ML - Republic of Mali
.MP - Northern Mariana Islands
*.MS - Montserrat
.MT - Malta
*.MU - Mauritius
.MW - Malawi
.MX - Mexico
*.NA - Namibia
*.NU - Niue
.NZ - New Zealand
.PE - Peru
.PG - Papua New Guinea
.PH - Philippines
*.PN - Pitcairn
.QA - Qatar
.RW - Republic of Rwanda
.SC - Seychelles
.SG - Singapore
.SV - El Salvador
.TC - Turks and Caicos Islands
.TF - French Southern Territories
*.TJ - Tajikistan
.TO - Tonga
*.TT - Trinidad and Tobago
.UA - Ukraine
.UG - Uganda
.UY - Uruguay
.UZ - Uzbekistan
.VE - Venezuela
.VU - Vanuatu
*.VG - Virgin Islands (British)
.ZW - Zimbabwe

* Founding members of the International Association of Top Level Domains
(IATLD)

Respectfully submitted,

By the IATLD Founding Members:

Antony Van Couvering - Independent adviser

and

Brian Cartmell - .CC, Cocos & Keeling Island
Juan Edgar Nunez -.DO, Dominican Republic
Nigel Roberts - .GG, Guernsey (and others)
Daniel Camacho - .MP, Northern Mariana Islands
Yann Kwok - .MU, Mauritius
Dr. Eberhard W. Lisse, .NA, Namibia
J. William Semich - .NU, Niue
William X. Walsh - .TJ, Tajikistan
Dr. Patrick Hosein - .TT, Trinidad and Tobago
Sean Jackson - .VG, British Virgin Islands (and others)