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ICANN POLICY UPDATE | Volume 09, Issue 09 – September 2009

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http://www.icann.org/en/topics/policy/

CONTENTS:

Across ICANN

  1. Policy and Related Issues Currently Open for Public Comment
  2. Policy Staff Gains More Helpers for ICANN Community
  3. Transitions: Greg Ruth, Maggie Mansourkia

ccNSO

  1. Council Prepares to Tame Wildcarding
  2. Strategic and Operational Planning WG Expands
  3. Incident Response Working Group Swells Its Ranks
  4. ccNSO Council Calls for Nominees
  5. DNSSEC Survey Closes

GNSO

  1. Revised Bylaws Pave the Way for a New Council in Seoul
  2. Inter-Registrar Transfer Policies Group Digs into Definitions, Opinions
  3. Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group May Survey Registrars
  4. Fast Flux Working Group Finishes, yet Issues Live On

ASO

  1. RIRs Update Global Policy Proposal for Recovered IPv4 Addresses
  2. RIRs Might Postpone Asynchronous System Numbers 32-Bit Transition

Joint Efforts

  1. Joint ccNSO/GNSO Internationalized Domain Name Working Group Launches
  2. GNSO/ALAC RAA Working Group Calls for Volunteers

At-Large

  1. ICANN Board Unanimously Approves Principal of Adding an At-Large Voting Board Member
  2. At-Large Names 2009/2010 NomCom Delegates
  3. At-Large Plans How to Implement Review Recommendations

SSAC

  1. SSAC to Hold First Annual Member Retreat

Read Policy Update in Your Preferred Language

ICANN Policy Update is available in all six official languages of the United Nations: English (EN), Spanish (ES), French (FR), Arabic (AR), Chinese (Simplified – siZH), and Russian (RU). Policy Update is posted on ICANN’s website and available via online subscription. To receive these updates in your Inbox each month, simply go to the ICANN subscriptions page, enter your e-mail address, and select “Policy Update” to subscribe. This service is free of charge.

ICANN Policy Update statement of purpose

Send questions, comments and suggestions to: policy-staff@icann.org.

What’s on the Calendar for Today?

Keep up-to-date on ICANN policy development by visiting the online calendars of ICANN’s policy development and advisory bodies. Three of the most active calendars include:

Across ICANN

1. Policy and Related Issues Currently Open for Comment

Numerous public comment periods are open on issues of interest to the ICANN community. Act now for the opportunity to share your views on such items as:

  • Proposed Bylaw Changes to Improve Accountability. The latest step in the Improving Institutional Confidence process. Comment period closes 25 September 2009.
  • At-Large Review Implementation Outline. After an independent review of the At-Large Advisory Committee, the Board approved several recommendations for improvement. This plan for how to turn the recommendations into reality is open for comments until 30 September.
  • Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) Part B. The Inter-Registrar Transfer (IRTP) Part B PDP Working Group wants public comments on issues surrounding modifying registration information and transferring domain names between registers. Specifically, comments on establishing a new urgent return procedure for challenging potentially fraudulent domain name transfers or alterations, potential measures to undo inappropriate transfers, and the use of Registrar Lock Status are requested from the broader community. Note: Comments can be submitted in English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French and Russian. Comment period closes 5 October 2009.
  • Document Publication Operational Policy. A Board Committee has posted a proposed “operational policy” for use by all Supporting Organizations, Advisory Committees, the Board and Staff at ICANN’s international public meetings. It includes, among other things, a mandatory 15 day deadline for posting all documents, including agendas. Comments are requested by 8 October 2009.

More Information

  • For the full list of issues open for public comment, as well as a list of recently closed and archived public comment forums, refer to the Public Comments page.

2. Policy Staff Gains More Helpers for ICANN Community

In the second half of 2009, the Policy Team has added more staff resources to provide greater levels of service to the community (and keep up with the ever growing workload). This extra help consists of:

  • Gisella Gruber-White, Administrative Contractor
    Responsibilities: Administrative Support, currently helping At-Large and GNSO
  • Julie Hedlund, Director
    Responsibilities: Operational and Administrative support for SSAC, and support for selected policy projects
  • Kristina Nordstrom, Administrative Contractor
    Responsibilities: Administrative support, currently helping the ccNSO
  • Scott Pinzon, Director, Policy Communications/Information Services
    Responsibilities: Policy Update; producing educational resources about policy issues
  • Steve Sheng, Senior Technical Analyst
    Responsibilities: Technical analysis and research support for SSAC and for selected policy projects

More Information

  • You’ll be able to see some of these individuals in action in various sessions at the international meeting in Seoul. Feel free to introduce yourself, and let them know how they can serve you best.

3. Transitions

[Editor’s Note: This new feature in Policy Update provides a spot where community members can recognize one another’s service and contributions. If you would like to thank a volunteer whose significant work is done, send a brief email to scott.pinzon@icann.org and we’ll try to work your note in. Submissions must be received by the 7th of each month to appear in that month’s issue.]

Thank you to Greg Ruth, a long-standing GNSO Council member who has represented the Internet Service and Connection Provider (ISP) Constituency. A member of the Council since 2000, he stepped down in August 2009. Until the Seoul meeting, when the ISP Constituency can elect a new Councilor, Greg’s former position is being held by Maggie Mansourkia, from Verizon.

ccNSO

4. Council Prepares to Tame Wildcarding

At a Glance

Operators of country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) have encountered problems with domain name wildcarding and synthesized DNS responses. The country code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) Council is arranging briefings on the subject so that the ccNSO can try to reduce the practice of wildcarding at the top level of a ccTLD.

Recent Developments

Steve Crocker, an ICANN Board member and Chair of the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) briefed the ccNSO Council on the issues relating to DNS redirection and synthesized DNS responses, including background provided in the SSAC report published in June 2009 (SAC041). The briefing occurred on the Council conference call, 24 August.

Next Steps

The ccNSO Council will again discuss the topic at its next meeting, in preparation for a session on wildcards at the ccNSO meeting in Seoul.

Background

At ICANN’s international meeting during June 2009 in Sydney, the ICANN Board of Directors passed a resolution requesting that the ccNSO propose mechanisms to avoid the use of redirection and synthesized DNS responses at the top level of a ccTLD.

More Information

Staff Contact

Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor, ccNSO

5. Strategic and Operational Planning WG Expands

At a Glance

The ccNSO’s Strategic and Operational Planning Working Group (SOP WG) added four members and is planning a survey to collect input on ICANN’s long-term strategic plan.

Recent Developments

At the Sydney meeting, the ccNSO Council decided to expand the membership of the SOP WG at the request of the Working Group’s chair, Byron Holland, .CA. After a call for volunteers, the following ccTLD representatives were appointed to the SOP WG: Sabine Dolderer, .de; Roelof Meijer, .nl; Eswari Sharma, .np; and Leonid Todorov, .ru.

Next Steps

The SOP WG is preparing to survey the ccTLD community. They seek input about ICANN’s strategic plan for the years 2010 through 2013; specifically, what the global strategic priorities should be in the view of the ccTLD community.

Background

The SOP WG was established to facilitate and increase the participation of the ccTLD community in ICANN’s Strategic and Operational Planning processes. It helps make sure that ICANN includes the perspective of ccTLD operators when setting long-term priorities.

More information

Staff Contact

Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor, ccNSO

6. Incident Response Working Group Swells Its Ranks

At a Glance

Sixteen volunteers joined the ccNSO’s Incident Response Planning Working Group (IRP WG).

Recent Developments

After a call for volunteers, the ccNSO Council appointed the following members (and an observer) to the IRP WG:

  • Fahd Batayneh, .jo
  • Stephen Deerhake, .as
  • Keith Drazek, .us
  • Luis Diego Espinoza, .cr
  • Ondrej Filip, .cz
  • Ben Fuller, .na
  • Otmar Lendl, CERT .at
  • Janantha Marasinghe, CERT .lk
  • Yasuhiro Orange Morishitam .jp
  • Nigel Roberts, .gg
  • Jose Romero, .pe
  • Hugo Salgado, .cl
  • Katrina Sataki, .lv
  • Eswari Sharma, .np
  • Jörg Schweiger, .de
  • Observer: Rudy Vasnick, ALAC liaison to the ccNSO

Next Steps

The standing members of the IRP WG will brief the new members, and involve them in the discussion. The goal is to present at the Seoul meeting an outline of a plan for how ccTLD registries should engage one another and interact during emergent incidents.

Background

At its meeting in August, the ccNSO Council adopted the IRP WG charter and issued a call for volunteers. The purpose of the IRP WG is to develop and propose to the ccTLD community mechanisms and structures for coordinated response to incidents potentially affecting the DNS. The Conficker worm, which spread earlier this year, provides an example of the kind of threat the IRP WG intends to address.

More Information

Staff Contact

Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor, ccNSO

7. ccNSO Council Calls for Nominees

At a Glance

Because of term limits, some members of the ccNSO Council will soon step down. The Council is working to replace them.

Recent Developments

The call for nominations to the ccNSO Council was launched on 11 September 2009. Candidates can be nominated and seconded by ccNSO members until 2 October.

Next Steps

If there is more than one candidate nominated per region, elections will be held.

Background

At the Nairobi meeting (March 2010), one ccNSO Councilor from each region will step down:

  • Africa: Paulos Nyirenda, .mw
  • Asia/Australia/Pacific: Chris Disspain, .au
  • Latin America/Caribbean: Oscar Robles-Garay, .mx
  • Europe: Lesley Cowley, .uk
  • North America: Oscar Moreno, .pr

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat

8. DNSSEC Survey Closes

Participation slightly up compared to previous poll

At a Glance

DNSSEC could make a major difference to the security and stability of the Internet. But does the Internet community understand and embrace what DNSSEC offers? To answer this question, the ccNSO Council updated and re-launched a ccNSO DNSSEC Survey first conducted in 2007.

Recent Developments

The survey about DNSSEC, which was launched by the ccNSO Secretariat in late June, closed on 7 September. The survey of country code operators drew 65 replies, a slight improvement to the 61 replies received when the survey was first performed two years ago. Many thanks to all who participated!

Next Steps

The responses will be tallied and evaluated, then presented to the community during the Seoul meeting. (If you really can’t wait to learn the survey results, you can preview some of the raw data.)

Background

The Swedish Registry (IIS.SE) and the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) jointly requested that the DNSSEC survey be repeated. During its teleconference on 12 May 2009, the ccNSO Council agreed. Results will be compared to the survey findings from 2007, which indicated that merely 7% of country code registries had implemented DNSSEC. In the same survey, 85% of participants said that they planned to implement DNSSEC. The new survey will reveal how many have done so in the intervening two years.

More Information

Staff Contact

Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat

GNSO

9. Revised Bylaws Pave the Way for a New Council in Seoul

At a Glance

The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) community is working to implement a comprehensive series of structural changes designed to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accessibility of the organization. This month’s efforts included updating ICANN’s Bylaws to reflect the changes; developing transition plans; and continued consideration of possible new constituencies.

Recent Developments

ICANN Bylaw Amendments Approved. At its 27 August meeting, the ICANN Board approved a package of new Bylaws [PDF] necessary to formulate the mechanisms and procedures that will seat the newly structured GNSO Council in Seoul. Representatives from four new Stakeholder Groups will populate the new Council: the Registries Stakeholder Group, the Registrars Stakeholder Group, the Commercial Stakeholders Group (CSG) and the Non Commercial Stakeholders Group (NCSG).

A second phase of Bylaws amendments will follow after the Seoul meeting, as GNSO Work Teams continue developing recommendations for a revised GNSO Policy Development Process and a new Working Group model for policy development. (Work Team reports follow, below.)

Transition Plan Being Developed. The GNSO Council is working hard to complete and execute a comprehensive implementation plan to assure a smooth transition to the new Council at the Seoul ICANN meeting. The effort includes review and approval of a new set of operating rules and procedures that will govern the new Council’s work. Those rules and procedures have been developed by one of the GNSO Work Teams, described below.

New GNSO Constituencies Remain Under Consideration. All four of the proposed new GNSO Constituency charters (CyberSafety, Consumers, City TLDs and IDNgTLD) have now been subject to full 30-day public comment forums. The Board discussed the proposals at its 30 July meeting and asked the Staff to conduct follow-up discussions with the various Constituency proponents to learn more about the various proposals. Those discussions continue, and responses to specific Board member queries are being prepared.

Council and Work Team Implementation Efforts. The Operations Steering Committee (OSC) and Policy Process Steering Committee (PPSC), which were created by the GNSO Council, established five Work Teams staffed by volunteers from the GNSO and ALAC communities. The Work Teams develop specific proposals, processes and mechanisms for implementing the GNSO Improvement Recommendations endorsed and adopted by the Board. These Recommendations include improving the Policy Development Process (PDP); standardizing the Working Group model for GNSO Policy development; revising GNSO Council, Stakeholder Group, and Constituency processes and operations; and improving the various communications functions in the GNSO community to increase participation in policy development activities. Since March 2009 these five Work Teams have made significant progress on the following activities:

Policy Process Efforts:

  1. PDP Team
    The GNSO’s PDP Work Team is developing recommendations for a new policy development process (PDP), which they have split into five discrete phases. The team continues its drafting work, meeting weekly.

  2. Working Group Team
    The GNSO’s Working Group Model Work Team is developing two new guidebooks, “Working Group Implementation and Charter Drafting Guidelines” and “Working Group Operating Model Guidebook.” Both have been outlined and are now in iterative cycles of being reviewed, having comments incorporated, and being reviewed again.

Operations Efforts:

  1. The GNSO Operations Work Team completed a key task in August. It produced recommendations for a revised version of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures to reflect the ICANN Board’s GNSO Improvement recommendations and to incorporate draft amendments to the ICANN Bylaws. The Work Team has forwarded its recommendations to the Operations Steering Committee for review.

  2. The GNSO Constituency & Stakeholder Group Operations Work Team is meeting biweekly, and its three Sub Teams continue laboring diligently in the following areas: a framework for participation in any ICANN Constituency that is objective, standardized, and clearly stated has gone through a preliminary draft; operating principles that are representative, open, transparent, and democratic have been drafted and heavily commented on; and recommendations for creating and maintaining a database of all constituency members and others not formally a part of any constituency has been drafted and is receiving comments. In addition, the Sub-Team that is developing recommendations for a “tool kit” of basic administrative, operational and technical services that could be made available to all Constituencies has turned in a draft that has been vetted by all Constituencies.

  3. The GNSO Communications Work Team continues drafting recommendations to enhance the GNSO’s ability to solicit meaningful community feedback. In addition, the Work Team is drafting recommendations to improve GNSO’s coordination with other ICANN structures. The team has also developed ideas on how to make gnso.icann.org more usable. Based on the results of 17 in-depth interviews and 230 survey responses from users of gnso.icann.org and icann.org, the team has proposed a way to make it easier to use the site for finding documents, managing via the GNSO calendar, and learning the latest on policy issues. The team will next seek further input on their proposals from GNSO constituencies.

Next Steps

The Board, GNSO Council and community Work Teams continue to work collectively resolving critical issues in order to seat the newly structured GNSO Council at the Seoul ICANN meeting in October 2009.

The Board is expected to appoint three new members representing the Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group at its 30 September meeting. In the meantime, the GNSO Council and its various Stakeholder Groups and Constituencies will continue the planning and execution needed to ensure a smooth transition in Seoul.

Background

Through a series of decisions at its February, June, August and October 2008 meetings, the ICANN Board has endorsed a series of goals for improving several aspects of the GNSO’s structure and operations. These decisions are a culmination of a two-year effort of independent review, community input and Board deliberations. To learn about the GNSO’s new structure and organization, please see the discussion and diagrams on the GNSO Improvements webpage.

More Information

Staff Contact

Robert Hoggarth, Senior Policy Director

10. Inter-Registrar Transfer Policies WG Digs Into Definitions, Opinions

At a Glance

The Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) aims to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another. The GNSO is reviewing and considering revisions to this policy.

Recent Developments

The IRTP Part B Working Group held its first meeting on 24 August. To facilitate discussion, the group has started working on defining the different stakeholders that participate in the transfer process. The group also had a first exchange of views on whether a process for the urgent return or resolution of a domain name should be developed (the first question in the group’s charter). In addition, the Working Group opened a public comment period to further inform their deliberations.

Following the adoption of the charter, a call for volunteers was launched (see the announcement’s PDF).

Next Steps

The IRTP Part B Working Group will continue meeting on a bi-weekly basis. For further information, please consult the IRTP Part B Working Group Workspace.

Background

As part of a broader review of the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy, the first in a set of five distinct policy development processes (PDPs) has now been completed (click here for background details) and a second one, IRTP Part B, has begun. The IRTP Part B Working Group addresses five issues, specified in the previous issue of Policy Update and also in their Charter.

The GNSO Council expects the Working Group to pursue the availability of further information from ICANN compliance Staff to understand in what way relevant elements of the existing Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy are enforced. The WG should also request compliance Staff to review any policy recommendations it develops and provide advice on how the recommendations may best be structured to ensure clarity and enforceability.

More Information

Staff Contact

Marika Konings, Policy Director

11. Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group May Survey Registrars

At a Glance

To what extent should registrants be able to reclaim their domain names after they expire? At issue is whether the current policies of registrars on the renewal, transfer and deletion of expired domain names are adequate.

Recent Developments

The Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group (PEDNR-WG) is now meeting weekly. The Group has started working on a registrar survey, intended to provide additional information that can inform the deliberations of the Working Group. In addition, they launched a public comment period to solicit comments on the questions outlined in the PEDNR WG Charter.

Next Steps

The Working Group will continue meeting to discuss and address the questions outlined in its charter. The Working Group is expected to organize an issue update / workshop at the Seoul meeting, in addition to providing an update to the GNSO Council. The Working Group should consider recommendations for best practices as well as (or instead of) recommendations for Consensus Policy.

Background

During the ICANN meeting in Cairo, the ALAC voted to request an Issues Report on the subject of registrants being able to recover domain names after their formal expiration date. The ALAC request was submitted to the GNSO Council on 20 November 2008. ICANN Staff prepared the Issues Report on post-expiration domain name recovery and submitted it to the GNSO Council on 5 December 2008. ICANN Staff provided the GNSO Council with clarifications on the questions raised in a motion that was adopted at its 18 December meeting. The GNSO Council reviewed these clarifications during its meeting on 29 January and agreed to create a Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery drafting team to eventually propose a charter and to provide recommendations answering certain questions.

The GNSO Council adopted a charter for a Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group (PEDNR WG) at its meeting on 24 June in Sydney.

Following the adoption of the charter, a call for volunteers was launched (PDF). In addition, a PEDNR workshop was held at the ICANN meeting in Sydney, enabling a first exchange of views with the broader ICANN community on the issues outlined in the charter above. (For a transcript and audio recording of the workshop, please see http://syd.icann.org/node/3869/.)

More Information

Staff Contact

Marika Konings, Policy Director

12. Fast Flux Working Group Finishes; Issues Live On

At a Glance

Fast flux attacks refer to techniques that cybercriminals use to evade detection by rapidly modifying IP addresses and/or name servers. Though fast flux is notorious as a technique used maliciously, it also has legitimate uses. The GNSO is exploring appropriate action.

Recent Developments and Next Steps

The GNSO Council reviewed and discussed the Fast Flux Hosting Final Report at its meeting on 3 September, and resolved:

  • To encourage ongoing discussions within the community regarding the development of best practices and / or Internet industry solutions to identify and mitigate the illicit uses of Fast Flux
  • That the Registration Abuse Policy Working Group (RAPWG) should examine whether existing policy may empower Registries and Registrars, including consideration for adequate indemnification, to mitigate illicit uses of Fast Flux
  • To encourage interested stakeholders and subject matter experts to analyze the feasibility of a Fast Flux Data Reporting System to collect data on the prevalence of illicit use, as a tool to inform future discussions
  • To encourage Staff to examine the role that ICANN can play as a “best practices facilitator” within the community
  • To consider the inclusion of other stakeholders from both within and outside the ICANN community for any future Fast Flux policy development efforts
  • To ensure that successor PDPs on this subject, if any, address the charter definition issues identified in the Fast Flux Final Report.
  • To form a Drafting Team to work with support staff on developing a plan, with a set of priorities and a schedule, that can be reviewed and considered by the new Council as part of its work in developing the Council Policy Plan and Priorities for 2010.

Next Steps

A drafting team will be formed shortly to develop a plan with a set of priorities and a schedule that can be reviewed and considered by the new Council as part of its work in developing the Council Policy Plan and Priorities for 2010.

Background

Following a SSAC Advisory and an Issues Report on Fast Flux Hosting, the GNSO Council launched a Policy Development Process (PDP) on the issue in May 2008. The Working Group published its Initial Report in January 2009, which discusses questions about fast flux hosting and the range of possible answers developed by Working Group members. The Fast Flux Hosting Working Group submitted its Final Report (PDF) providing answers to the questions posed by the GNSO Council. The group also developed a definition of fast flux attacks, to distinguish these from legitimate uses of fast flux; and compiled fast flux metrics, also in the report.

The Fast Flux Hosting Working Group has not made any recommendations for new consensus policy, nor changes to existing policy, but it has provided a number of ideas for next steps. These ideas include:

  • Highlight which solutions / recommendations could be addressed by policy development, best practices and/or industry solutions
  • Consider whether registration abuse policy provisions could address fast flux by empowering registries / registrars to take down a domain name involved in malicious or illegal fast flux
  • Explore the development of a Fast Flux Data Reporting System
  • Explore the possibility of ICANN as a best practices facilitator
  • Explore the possibility to involve other stakeholders in the fast flux policy development process
  • Redefine the issue and scope.

For more details, see “Background on Fast Flux Hosting.”

More Information

Staff Contacts

Marika Konings, Policy Director

ASO

13. RIRs Update Global Policy Proposal for Recovered IPv4 Addresses

At a Glance

Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are currently discussing a proposed global policy for handling IPv4 address space returned from the RIRs to IANA. According to the proposal, IANA should act as a repository of returned address space and allocate such space to the RIRs in smaller blocks than it currently does, once the free pool of IANA IPv4 address space has been depleted.

Recent Developments

The RIRs discussed the proposal at their most recent meetings. APNIC has adopted the proposal, which has passed final call in AfriNIC and LACNIC. The proposal remains in the discussion stage in ARIN and RIPE, who contemplate modifying it.

A third update of the Background Report on recovered IPv4 addresses has recently been posted.

Next Steps

If adopted by all RIRs, the Number Resource Organization Executive Committee and the Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC) will review the proposal and then forward it to the ICANN Board for ratification and implementation by IANA.

Background

IPv4 is the Internet Protocol addressing system used to allocate unique IP address numbers in 32-bit format. With the massive growth of the Internet user population, the pool of such unique numbers (approximately 4.3 billion) is being depleted and a 128-bit numbering system (IPv6) will need to take its place.

The proposed global policy has two distinct phases; 1) IANA only receives returned IPv4 address space from the RIRs and 2) IANA continues to receive returned IPv4 address space and also reallocates such space to the RIRs. This proposal is connected to a recently adopted global policy for allocating the remaining IPv4 address space. When that global policy takes effect, it also triggers phase two in the proposal.

For more details, see “Global Policy Proposal for Handling Recovered IPv4.”

More Information

Staff Contact

Olof Nordling, Director Services Relations

14. RIRs Might Postpone Autonomous System Numbers 32-Bit Transition

At a Glance

Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are currently discussing a proposed global policy for Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs). The proposal would change the date for a full transition from 16-bit to 32-bit ASNs from the beginning of 2010 to the beginning of 2011, in order to allow more time for necessary upgrades of the systems involved.

Recent Developments

The proposal has been introduced in all RIRs (AfriNIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC and RIPE) and has entered final call in LACNIC, RIPE and APNIC.

A new Background Report on the Global Policy Proposal for ASNs has recently been posted.

Next Steps

If adopted by all RIRs, the Number Resource Organization Executive Committee and the Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC) will review the proposal and then forward it to the ICANN Board for ratification and implementation by IANA.

Background

Autonomous System Numbers, or ASNs for short, are identifiers used for transit of IP traffic. ASNs were originally 16 bits in length, but a transition to 32-bit ASNs is under way to meet increasing demand. In line with the adopted Global Policy currently in force for ASNs, 16-bit and 32-bit ASNs exist in parallel, but all will be regarded as 32 bits long beginning in 2010. The proposal defers that date to the beginning of 2011.

More Information

Staff Contacts

Olof Nordling, Director Services Relations

Joint Efforts

15. Joint ccNSO/GNSO IDN Working Group Launches

Now the JIG is up!

At a Glance

The ccNSO Council adopted the Charter of the Joint ccNSO/GNSO Internationalized Domain Name Working Group (JIG WG) and will appoint members to the group…later.

Recent Developments

The ccNSO Council adopted the JIG WG charter at its meeting in August and called for volunteers. On the GNSO side, their Council resolved on 3 September to confirm the following volunteers to the JIG:

  • Edmon Chung, gTLD Registries (co-chair)
  • Terry Davis, Nominating Committee Appointee
  • Stéphane van Gelder, Registrar
  • Avri Doria, GNSO Council chair (Observer ex-officio)
  • Chuck Gomes, GNSO Council vice-chair (Observer ex-officio)

Next Steps

Because the number of volunteers from the community exceeded the number of ccNSO members in the WG, the ccNSO Council will appoint the members later, following internal consultations.

Background

The ccNSO and the GNSO perceive benefits to introducing Internationalized Domain Names as soon as feasible, both as ccTLDs under the IDN ccTLD Fast Track implementation and as gTLDs under the new gTLD implementation. The joint group formed in June 2009 to identify implementation issues where the GNSO and ccNSO have common interests, and might benefit from collaboration. The joint group reports back to their respective Councils, proposing methods for resolving IDN-related issues.

More Information

Staff Contact

Bart Boswinkel, Senior Policy Advisor

16. Joint GNSO / ALAC RAA Working Group Calls for Volunteers

Scope to include further RAA amendments and Registrants Rights

At a Glance

In order to be accredited by ICANN, registrars sign a Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) that commits them to certain performance standards. ICANN community groups are drafting a charter identifying registrant rights and discussing further amendments to the RAA.

Recent Developments

Volunteers from the GNSO and At-Large communities are needed to participate in a work team for the next phase of policy development on the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA).

Background

The RAA is the document that describes the relationship between ICANN and its accredited registrars, and is signed by all accredited registrars. At its meeting on 3 September, the GNSO Council approved a charter to convene a drafting team (i) to draft a registrant rights charter in cooperation with ALAC, and (ii) to discuss further amendments to the RAA and to identify those on which further action may be desirable.

More Information

Staff Contact

Margie Milam, Senior Policy Counselor

At-Large

17. ICANN Board Unanimously Approves Principle of Adding an At-Large Voting Board Member

At a Glance

Until recently, the At-Large Advisory Committee has had a non-voting Liaison on ICANN’s Board. In August, the Board approved a recommendation from the Board Review Working Group (BRWG) that, in principle, this Liaison should be replaced with a voting member from the At-Large Community on ICANN’s Board.

Recent Developments

In its meeting of 27 August 2009, the ICANN Board of Directors unanimously resolved as follows:

  • IT IS RESOLVED THAT the recommendation of the BRWG to add one voting director appointed from the At-Large Community to the ICANN Board of Directors, and removing the present ALAC Liaison to the Board, is approved in principle for implementation. Staff is directed to identify all steps required to achieve the implementation of this principle, after issuing of the BRWG Final Report.

The proposal that the At-Large community should select at least one voting Director seat on the ICANN Board is a recommendation of the recently completed At-Large Independent Review process. The Board approved the other recommendations in the Final Report of the Board’s At-Large Review Working Group during their meeting at the Sydney ICANN meeting in June.

As the resolution indicates, the next step in implementing it will be the presentation at the Seoul meeting of the full report of the Board Review Working Group, as this element of change in the Board is part of the broader Board review process.

The At-Large community is working on a draft procedure for how the appointment could be implemented. The At-Large community expects to provide their draft to the Board in Seoul for discussion.

More Information

Staff Contacts

At-Large Secretariat

18. At-Large Names 2009/2010 NomCom Delegates

At a Glance

Each year between the June ICANN meeting and the ICANN Annual General Meeting (AGM), the At-Large community appoints five Nominating Committee voting delegates. This process has an impact on the whole ICANN community.

Recent Developments

ALAC has transmitted the names of the five voting delegates it appoints to the NomCom each year, following a bottom-up nominations process involving the five Regional At-Large Organizations (“RALOs”) and their members, followed by an election by the ALAC.

The delegates for the 2009/2010 NomCom are:

  • From Africa: Yaovi Atohoun
  • From Asia, Australasia and the Pacific Islands: Hong Xue
  • From Europe: Olivier M.J. Crépin-Leblond
  • From North America: Eduardo Diaz
  • From Latin America and the Caribbean Islands: José Ovidio Salgueiro

More Information

  • The NomCom appointments are one part of a much larger series of elections and appointments in the At-Large community taking place before the Seoul ICANN meeting. For complete information, please see the At-Large Elections 2009 page.

Staff Contact

At-Large Secretariat

19. At-Large Plans How to Implement Review Recommendations

At a Glance

In June, an independent external review of At-Large concluded when ICANN’s Board approved recommendations from the At-Large Review Working Group. The report contains multiple recommendations. At-Large is now planning how to turn the recommendations into reality.

Recent Developments

At the public meeting of the Board in Sydney on 26 June 2009, the Board approved all but one recommendation of the Board’s At-Large Review Working Group’s Final Report dated 6 June 2009.

The ALAC asked Staff to create a draft At-Large Review Implementation Plan containing all the recommendations and sub-recommendations in the Final Report for the entire At-Large community to review and comment upon. The draft under consultation may be reviewed in English, Spanish, or French. Comments are being taken until 30 September 2009.

When the consultation ends, the results are to be incorporated into a final plan that the ALAC will vote upon. Upon ratification, the plan would then be transmitted to the Board for review at the Seoul meeting.

Staff Contact

At-Large Secretariat

SSAC

20. SSAC to Hold First Annual Member Retreat

At a Glance

The Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) plans to hold its first annual member retreat, 30 September through 1 October, 2009.

Recent Developments

The SSAC submitted for Public Comment a proposal to hold its first annual member retreat. Upon completion of the Public Comment period on 8 September, the SSAC reviewed the responses. The SSAC determined to proceed with the retreat and include relevant topics raised in the Public Forum.

The retreat will inform SSAC members, and also help the committee prioritize its activities and prepare a work plan. Retreat topics may include:

  1. SSAC Operations and Coordination, including the SSAC Charter; Member Roles; Workflow; SSAC Review Outcomes; and Engagement with ICANN Bodies;

  2. Substantive/Informational Issues, such as Registrant Protection and Abusive Behavior; DNS as an Attack Vector; SSAC/ICANN Role in Routing; Root Server System Robustness and its Future; and Security and Stability of the Internet (specifically, Gaming and Structural Issues with ICANN Rules).

Next Steps

The retreat is scheduled for 30 September through 1 October, 2009.

Staff Contact

Julie Hedlund, Director, SSAC Support

update-sep09-en.pdf  [199 KB]

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Domain Name System
Internationalized Domain Name ,IDN,"IDNs are domain names that include characters used in the local representation of languages that are not written with the twenty-six letters of the basic Latin alphabet ""a-z"". An IDN can contain Latin letters with diacritical marks, as required by many European languages, or may consist of characters from non-Latin scripts such as Arabic or Chinese. Many languages also use other types of digits than the European ""0-9"". The basic Latin alphabet together with the European-Arabic digits are, for the purpose of domain names, termed ""ASCII characters"" (ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These are also included in the broader range of ""Unicode characters"" that provides the basis for IDNs. The ""hostname rule"" requires that all domain names of the type under consideration here are stored in the DNS using only the ASCII characters listed above, with the one further addition of the hyphen ""-"". The Unicode form of an IDN therefore requires special encoding before it is entered into the DNS. The following terminology is used when distinguishing between these forms: A domain name consists of a series of ""labels"" (separated by ""dots""). The ASCII form of an IDN label is termed an ""A-label"". All operations defined in the DNS protocol use A-labels exclusively. The Unicode form, which a user expects to be displayed, is termed a ""U-label"". The difference may be illustrated with the Hindi word for ""test"" — परीका — appearing here as a U-label would (in the Devanagari script). A special form of ""ASCII compatible encoding"" (abbreviated ACE) is applied to this to produce the corresponding A-label: xn--11b5bs1di. A domain name that only includes ASCII letters, digits, and hyphens is termed an ""LDH label"". Although the definitions of A-labels and LDH-labels overlap, a name consisting exclusively of LDH labels, such as""icann.org"" is not an IDN."