June 9, 2000
To: tld-interest@icann.org.
Re: Expressions of interest from parties seeking to operate and/or
sponsor any new TLD registry.
I am writing on behalf
of a group on NGOs that have expressed an interest in the development
of a new Internet top level domain (TLD) for human rights. Specifically,
we are seeking to create .humanrights, as a TLD that would be used
both for domains for human rights organizations, but more importantly,
for a system of gateways or portals to information about human rights
for specific firms, governments, organization or even issues.
For example, this TLD could
be used to create such domains as:
worldbank.humanrights
imf.humanrights
exxonmobil.humanrights
shell.humanrights
tibet.humanrights
disney.humanrights
usa.prison.humanrights
china.prison.humanrights
woman.pakistan.humanrights
europe.gayandlesbian.humanrights
PWA.humanrights (people living with AIDS)
worker.humanrights
childlabor.humanrights
indigenouspeople.Australia.humanrights
(This list is only for
illustration purposes, of the types of domains that might be used,
not the actual domains or even taxonomy that would necessarily be
used.)
A consortium of human rights
organizations that will manage the TLD, and set policy regarding how
the domain will be used. The use of the TLD will be restricted by
the consortium. For example, the consortium would determine who is
a bona fide human rights organization, or which links would be appropriate
from a gateway or portal site. The value to the Internet community
and the users of the domains would be that the TLD would be a positive
signal from the consortium regarding the quality of the links (as
the .edu or .gov TLDs are now). The use of the TLD would provide also
an important way for researchers, journalists, activists or consumers
of e-commerce services, to quickly check on the human rights record
of the firm or organization. Firms or organizations with well known
brands and names would be find it more compelling to respect basic
human rights if a failure to do so were readily available to the public.
The consortium will be
considering various ways to make the system as fair as possible. For
example, some have proposed that for cases where a firm or organization
name is used in a gateway domain, would be to provide the firm to
opportunity for a rebuttal, on the gateway or portal itself -- if
there were links from nike.humanrights to reports about Nike's use
of sweatshops to produce its shoes, Nike would be able to provide
a link to its response, or a corporation criticized for its use of
child labor could have a link giving its response.
The actual details of the
management system for the .humanrights TLD are still being worked
out, and will require additional discussion among global human rights
organizations, plus additional outreach to identify groups that are
interested in taking an active role in the management of the TLD.
In setting the rules for
new TLDs, the ICANN board should recognize the benefits of expanding
the name space to include TLDs that address the concerns of civil
society. The ICANN board should also avoid rules that would unduly
restrict the ability of the .humanrights group to manage its TLD as
its sees fit, including, for example, the use of trademarks in domain
names, when that use is designed to discuss the human rights record
of a particular firm, government or organization.
I will be in Yokohama to
discuss this proposal further.
Sincerely,
Manon Ress
Debs Jones Douglass Institute
http://www.djdinstitute.org
