Re: [bc-gnso] Post JPA ICANN Governance

[Steve DelBianco <sdelbianco@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

FYI -- NetChoice statement on the Viviane Reding plan

For immediate release
May 4, 2009

EU Plan to Increase Government Control Not the Answer for ICANN
 
WASHINGTON -- In calling for greater accountability from the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), European Union
Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding today echoed
the concerns of many committed ICANN stakeholders. But in calling for
increased government control, she threatens to steer ICANN away from the
private sector leadership that made the Internet what it is today, NetChoice
Executive Director Steve DelBianco said today.
 
"ICANN plans to let its transition agreement with the U.S. Government expire
in September, which has triggered many well-meaning questions and concerns
from governments, businesses, and organizations concerned about the future
of the Internet," DelBianco said. "While we applaud Reding's call to
privatize ICANN and make it more accountable to stakeholders, we're
concerned that her proposals may cause new problems."
 
Reding acknowledges that U.S. Government has played an important role in
ensuring ICANN¹s accountability to the Internet community, and proposes a
new accountability mechanism to replace the U.S. Government's existing
oversight role. To increase accountability, Reding wants to allow anyone to
challenge ICANN decisions before a new international "tribunal."
 
Additionally, Reding suggests the creation of a new multilateral bureaucracy
-- a "G12 for the Internet" -- that would allow governments to vote on
³recommendations to ICANN where appropriate.²
 
"We must respectfully disagree with Reding¹s vision of a 'fully privatized
and independent ICANN' that is beholden to a new multi-governmental entity.
The goal for ICANN has always been to move toward private-sector leadership
of the Domain Name System, not towards greater control by governments,"
DelBianco said. 
 
NetChoice applauded Reding's original thinking on the idea of a third-party
accountability mechanism for ICANN, but noted that it would hardly be
possible to develop and test such a structure in the few months remaining
before September. 
 
"It¹s a good idea to improve ICANN¹s mechanisms for private sector
accountability, but its¹ going to take more than four months to do it,"
DelBianco said. "If the goal is to create an effective, globally-accountable
ICANN while upholding the security and stability of the Internet's
addressing system, it may be best to extend the current agreements with the
U.S. Government until these new mechanisms can be put into place."
 
About NetChoice
 
NetChoice is an advocacy organization that fights threats to online commerce
and promotes policies that protect Internet innovation and communication on
a state, federal and international basis.  The Washington, DC-based group
protects Internet commerce-driven competition and opposes regulations that
hinder consumer choice and hurt small businesses.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-bc-gnso@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-bc-gnso@xxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Michael Palage
> Sent: 2009-05-04 12:42
> To: bc-gnso@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [bc-gnso] Post JPA ICANN Governance
> 
> 
> Hello All:
> 
> I thought the constituency might find the following video presentation by
> Viviane Reding, European Union commissioner for Information Society and
> Media on the privatization of ICANN in a post JPA environment useful, see
> http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/reding/video/index_en.htm.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Michael D. Palage
> 
> 
>