The IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process is Open
ICANN is pleased to announce the launch of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process.
For the first time in Internet history, non-English speakers across the globe will see Internet addresses completely in their own language.
Access to the IDN ccTLD Fast Track online application system and all associated materials are available at:
http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/
The Affirmation of Commitments –
What it Means
The Affirmation of Commitments completes a transition that started 11 years ago...
When ICANN was created in 1998, with the assistance of the United States Government, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) process was started with the objective of achieving a noble goal: the coordination of the Internet's unique identifiers by the private sector through a not-for-profit organization where policies were developed from the bottom up.
The signing of the Affirmation determines once and for all that this model works.
The JPA was the seventh amendment of the original MOU. Over the years there have been thirteen report cards on performance of responsibilities to the US Department of Commerce alone. So why is the Affirmation of Commitments a further step in progress and internationalization of the ICANN model?
Current Work
Have A Registrar Problem? |
Events and MeetingsUpcoming
Past
|
Resources
|
Every significant piece of work that ICANN produces goes through a period of public comment, typically 30 days, so that the broader Internet community has an opportunity to comment. Often one document will go through several stages of review and revision before being finalised. Below are all the comment periods that are currently open.
Amendment for Partial Bulk Transfer in dot-COM & dot-NET
closes 16 NOV
Domain Names Registered Using a Privacy or Proxy Service
closes 6 NOV Extended to 20 NOV
NomCom Review – Draft Working Group Report
closes 4 NOV Extended to 22 NOV
SSAC Review – Draft Working Group Report
closes 4 NOV Extended to 22 NOV
Board Review – Draft Final Working Group Report
closes 4 NOV Extended to 22 NOV
Version 3 of New gTLD Applicant Guidebook
closes 22 NOV
Proposed Rights Protection Mechanisms in New gTLDs
closes 22 NOV
Proposed Bylaw Changes to Improve Accountability
extended to 27 NOV
TNO Report Describing Root Scaling Model
closes 29 NOV
Interisle Report Describing Root Scaling
closes 29 NOV
.POST Sponsorship Agreement
closes 2 DEC
Draft Topic Paper for Policy on Introduction of Internationalised ccTLDs
closes 4 DEC
Expressions of Interest in New gTLDs
closes 11
DEC
CAC Proposed Amendments to the UDRP Supplemental Rules of the Czech Arbitration Court
closes 11
DEC
"The Affirmation of Commitments by ICANN and DOC fulfills a long-standing objective of the original formation of ICANN: to create an organization that can serve the world's interest in a robust, reliable and interoperable Internet."
Vint Cerf, co-inventor of the Internet
"VeriSign commends the Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Department of Commerce the ten years of work by both parties towards the evolution of governance around the Domain Name Addressing System. We are encouraged that the new proposed agreement by ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce will allow for more international participation in the policy creation at ICANN and expand ICANN’s efforts as technical coordinator of the domain name addressing system to ensure a robust and secure Internet."
Mark McLaughlin, President and CEO of VeriSign
"The Affirmation of Commitments establishes a new, permanent mechanism for accountability and transparency, which provides the necessary stability to ensure continued security and reliability to the Internet addressing system. It also is a recognition and endorsement of the private sector-led model, which is an essential element to the continued growth and health of the global Internet."
Olympia J. Snowe, Senior member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, United States Senate
"I'm impressed by how this new accountability framework found what's been missing at ICANN: a balanced way to bring all governments into the oversight process alongside private sector stakeholders, with a sharpened focus on security and serving global internet users."
Steve DelBianco, Executive Director of NetChoice
"The long awaited step by the US Government is yet another proof that the US Administration has a new policy of 'reset' of relation - this time with the world Internet community.
"With the end of the JPA, there are new perspectives for ICANN as the key body for governing the domain name system, in particular further development of its basic principles - transparency, accountability, and reporting to all interested parties - governments, internet community, business."
Michael Yakushev, Chairman of the Board of dot-ru ccTLD
"This is a welcome endorsement of bottom-up multi-stakeholder technical policy processes. This approach is one that Africa should 'take home' and adopt to make more robust it's national ICT policy developments. I look forward to more African government participation in GAC of ICANN."
Nii Quaynor, former DNSO chair, first African member of ICANN Board and recipient of the Postel Award 2007
"I welcome the new Affirmation of Commitments, and as someone who knows personally some of the members of the Board of ICANN, I congratulate them, and through them all the other directors and the ICANN staff, who - with their committed and devoted work - made possible the end of the old Joint Project Agreement."
Ivailo Kalfin, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Bulgaria
"This is a HUGE step forward... [and] a fantastic way to allow ICANN to flourish independently and to keep ICANN a global, not international organization."
Elliot Noss, CEO of Tucows
"ICANN的新协议申明,让世界看到了ICANN在管理全球互联网络域名和IP地址方面,已经具备电话网络一样的全球化无缝联通、协调机制、公众利益第一原则获得了公开的制度优势支持。这是世界互联网络40年来,在技术管理政策上的最伟大事件之一。"
"The Affirmation of Commitments by ICANN and DOC fulfills, let the world see the world in the management of DNS and IP addresses same as ITU: to achieve seamless interchange of globalization, coordination mechanisms, the first principle of public interest, open system advantages gained support . This is the world's Internet 40 years in technology management policy, one of the greatest events."
沈阳 , 千龙网 , 《中国域名经济》主编,中国互联网协会政策与资源工作委员会 Blog 研究组委员
Shen Yang, www.BeijingNews.com.cn and Chief Editor of “The Economics of China’s Domain Names”, Committeeman of WG for Blog, Internet Society of China (ISC)
"C'est une marque d'un très bon esprit de collaboration international du fait que le Gouvernement américain reconnaisse le modèle multi acteur de l'ICANN.
"Par ailleurs, le fait de prévoir une série de revues régulières, pas seulement par le Gouvernement américain mais aussi par les composantes, y compris le GAC et pourquoi pas multipartites ouvre la voie à une plus grande transparence dans l'exécution des missions de l'ICANN.
"En somme c'est un tournant décisif que tout le monde doit saisir pour développer Internet Pour Tous."
Ndéye Maimouna Diop Diagne, GAC representative of Senegal
"Google and its users depend every day on a vibrant and expanding Internet; we endorse this Affirmation and applaud the maturing of ICANN's role in the provision of Internet stability."
Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google
"This framework puts the public interest front and center, and it establishes processes for stakeholders around the world to review ICANN's performance."
Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, United States Department of Commerce
"The expiration of the Joint Project Agreement is an important moment in the process towards the increased internationalisation of ICANN's coordination and management of the Internet DNS."
Statement of the Swedish Presidency of the European Union
"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 its 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."
Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO of the Internet Society
Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media
"With the end of the JPA, the world Internet community, and Russians in particular, will have the opportunity to have a bigger impact when defining the policies for development of the Internet, while keeping balanced all participating parties' interests."
Andrei Kolesnikov, President of dot-ru ccTLD
"We strongly support the measures outlined in the Affirmation of Commitments... [it] will provide ICANN with a strong framework that will help it serve the international community, the domain industry and more importantly the many governments, organisations and individuals across the world that depend on the effective functioning of the domain name system."
Nominet, dot-uk registry
"The Affirmation of Commitments signals the recognition that the global Internet community is able to find creative solutions to the Internet's needs and problems at all layers. As a long-time contributor to ICANN's processes and improvement, from a non-Anglo country in development, today's recognition is a great pride."
Alejandro Pisanty, ISOC Board member and former ICANN vice-chair
"It's an important step in the commitment to transparency, accountability and stability. We are also encouraged by the positive message this sends to the global Internet community, that international interests are important to ICANN and its community. It's a healthy move for the Internet."
Bob Parsons, CEO of Go Daddy
بیانیه تعهدات جدید به نحوی شایسته تمامی جوانب مدیریت اینترنت را پوشش داده است و از سوی دیگر روند حاکمیت بین المللی بر اینترنت را تسهیل نموده است. شاید بتوان این تاریخ را « روز استقلال اینترنت» از دیدگاههای سیاسی و دولتی نامید.
"It's time to say that Internet is finally free from political/governmental views. The Affirmation of Commitments widely covers all the aspects of Internet governance in an impressive way so that we can call this era, 'The Independence Day of Internet.'"
Shahram Soboutipour, Iranian ICT Guild Organization (IranNSR)
"This indeed is a historic move. We all worked for it at some point, and should be proud of this Affirmation which now comforts the on going internationalization of the Internet."
Pierre Dandjinou, former Chairman of AfriNIC and Member of the President's Strategy Committee (PSC)
"ETNO welcomes the Affirmation of Commitments and congratulates the NTIA for taking this gigantic step, after the MoU and the JPA. ICANN after the AoC looks more independent, while more and better accountability and transparency mechanisms have been set up. We now all have a huge task ahead of us: to make sure that the innovations and mechanisms introduced by the AoC not only work, but provide the appropriate framework to tackle the problems effectively. And for that we, all, need to engage more and better."
Michael Bartholomew, Director, ETNO
"I am excited to see ICANN entering a new stage of its development. The end of the JPA means not only end of one-government-oversight, but the beginning of the true multi stakeholder's model - where each participant is sharing the same importance, and has the opportunity to contribute to the governance of the Internet."
Dr. Plamen Vatchkov, Chairman of the ITU council, National Cybersecurity Coordinator
"This agreement is a perfect example of how a public-private partnership can work to the advantage of all stakeholders. It will help insure that the Internet remains stable and secure for the people around the world who use it for work, study, entertainment, or to stay in touch with family and friends."
Henry A. Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, United States House of Representatives
"I am pleased that the NTIA and ICANN have decided to enter into a permanent agreement that will ensure the transparency and accountability of ICANN to the benefit of all users of the Internet and that includes periodic reviews of ICANN performance."
Rick Boucher, Chairman of the Communications, Technology, and the Internet Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives
"I congratulate ICANN and the DoC on successfully concluding the JPA. I welcome ICANN's ongoing commitment to transparent, open, community led reviews of various aspects of its structure and operations and look forward to working with ICANN and all community members to further enhance ICANN's internationalisation."
Chris Disspain, CEO of AuDa and Chairman of the Country Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO)
"The Affirmation of Commitments is a significant step forward for ICANN's accountability and for redefining its relationship with the U.S. Government and the global community.
"The commitments to transparency and accountability are extensive and impressive, and the expanded role for the chair of the Government Advisory Committee helps make oversight of ICANN a truly international effort.
"ICANN's assurances on openness, stability and competition are remarkable, particularly as they are backed up by a strong oversight process that involves the global community. This is what we needed for moving ahead into the next phase of the internet."
Jim Lewis, Center for Strategic and International Studies
"We have participated in the work of ICANN since its foundation, with a permanent GAC representative, and for three years a Bulgarian was member of the Board of directors. It is very good that ICANN takes a new road, where it will be accountable not only to the US Government, but to the whole world."
Parvan Rusinov, Deputy-Minister of Transport, Communications, and Information Technologies, Bulgaria
"This is a significant positive move towards a new and more open 'working environment' for ICANN and this document provides a good basis for further improvements of ICANN’s transparency and accountability with the full involvement of and cooperation with all stakeholders, public and private players as well as the civil society."
Åsa Torstensson, Infrastructure Minister of Sweden
"JPRS welcomes the end of JPA and signing of the Affirmation as the milestone of private-sector-led Internet resource management. And we will contribute more than ever to sound evolution of the Internet through participating in ICANN process."
Koki Higashida, President, Japan Registry Services (.jp)
"The Affirmation of Commitments recognizes ICANN's accomplishments to date as the global trustee of the Internet's unique identifiers and creates permanent accountability mechanisms in which other governments and the private sector can participate on an equal basis with the U.S. government."
Michael Palage, Adjunct Fellow at The Progress & Freedom Foundation and former ICANN Board Member
"The Affirmation of Commitments is a welcome development. It allows ICANN to become what it should be: a global, stakeholder and private sector driven manager of the Internet domain name system.
"The apparent willingness of the US government to involve other governments in ensuring that ICANN performs its functions effectively and transparently, should be a comfort to many of us who had serious reservations against the JPA... Overall there's a lot of hope now."
Vika Mpisane, Chairman of AfTLD and General Manager of the dot-za registry
"This paves the way for the future - a bright future which is truly global in nature."
Michele Neylon, Managing Director of Blacknight