Draft New ICANN Bylaws

Now that the IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group (ICG) and Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability (CCWG-Accountability) proposals have been transmitted to NTIA, one of the key implementation planning items is to amend the ICANN Bylaws to reflect the recommendations in those Proposals. The proposed draft of the New ICANN Bylaws was developed collaboratively by the ICANN legal team and the independent counsel hired to advise the CCWG-Accountability and the Cross Community Working Group to Develop an IANA Stewardship Transition Proposal on Naming Related Functions (CWG-Stewardship). In developing the Draft New ICANN Bylaws, the attorneys consulted a Bylaws Coordination Group populated with both community and Board members, as well as with the CWG-Stewardship and the CCWG-Accountability.

Both the independent counsel to the community groups and ICANN's General Counsel have confirmed that the Draft New ICANN Bylaws are consistent with the community proposals relating to the IANA Stewardship Transition.

These proposed draft Bylaws, are out for a 30-day public comment from 21 April – 21 May to allow any interested party to review and provide feedback. This timeline allows for comments to be analyzed and incorporated in time for a tentative 27 May adoption of the Bylaws by the ICANN Board.

NTIA has stated that it needs to see that changes to the Bylaws have been adopted sufficient to implement the Transition Proposals before NTIA can complete its review of the Transition Proposals. This public comment period is designed to meet that deadline.