ICANN POLICY UPDATE | Volume 11, Issue 9 – September 2011
PDF Version [791 KB]
http://www.icann.org/en/topics/policy/
CONTENTS:
Across ICANN
ccNSO
- Oman and Philippines Join ccNSO
- Election for ccNSO Seat on ICANN Board
- Dr. Hong Xue Appointed ccNSO Councilor
- Draft ccNSO Agenda Posted for Dakar Meeting
GNSO
- Community Comments on Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Final Report, Recommendations
- ICANN Board Adopts IRTP Part B Recommendations
- Final Issue Report on Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Part C Submitted to GNSO Council
- Other Issues Active in the GNSO
ASO
Joint Efforts
At-Large
- At-Large Welcomes New ALAC Members, Regional Officers and Delegates to the NomCom
- The At-Large Community Expands to 136 At-Large Structures
SSAC
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ICANN Policy Update statement of purpose
Send questions, comments and suggestions to: policy-staff@icann.org.
Policy Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees
| Address Supporting Organization | ASO |
| Country Code Names Supporting Organization | ccNSO |
| Generic Names Supporting Organization | GNSO |
| At-Large Advisory Committee | ALAC |
| Governmental Advisory Committee | GAC |
| Root Server System Advisory Committee | RSSAC |
| Security and Stability Advisory Committee | SSAC |
Across ICANN
1. Another Step in Public Comment Improvement Process
At a Glance
ICANN invites the community to provide feedback on improvements to the Public Comment process.
Recent Developments
Now until 30 September, community members can review and then share their thoughts and ideas on a number of proposed new process constructs as part of ICANN's ongoing efforts to improve the Public Comment process. These efforts address Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT) recommendations #15, 16 and 17 and include efforts regarding:
- Stratification: To categorize topics to help the community understand the subject matter and inform a participation decision.
- Prioritization: To assist community members in determining the importance or urgency of a solicitation by providing key information.
- Comment/Reply Cycles: To structure the community's input process into an initial period for submitting new comments followed by a separate reply period during which community respondents would be able to address and react to arguments raised in opposing parties' previous comments. It isn proposed that initial comment periods be set for a minimum 30 days, followed by a 15 day reply period.
As an initial test of the reply period concept, at the conclusion of the initial comment period on 30 September (and assuming that on-topic submissions have been received), a reply period will be open until 15 October.
Ideas on technical public comment forum improvements are also incorporated into the open proceeding. ICANN staff working on these improvements think that providing a threaded discussion environment as a complementary element to the ATRT recommendations and to the three constructs above might be useful. This new environment would maximize transparency and encourage a connection in the thought process between comments and corresponding replies to them. But, switching to a threaded discussion environment is a big change and staff wants to find out whether or not this is how the ICANN Community wants to interact in public comment forums. To experiment with a threaded environment, staff began development of a prototype Public Comment space utilizing ICANN's Confluence Wiki platform in mid-July. If there is enough positive community interest on the issue, staff plans to perform a limited community testing of such an environment during the October-November time period.
Next Steps
Please help improve ICANN's Public Comment Process by providing your feedback on the proposals [PDF, 147 KB] and the constructs discussed there, using the relevant links provided at the Announcement and the Public Comment box.
Background
Phase I activities to improve ICANN's Public Comment Process were implemented effective 30 June 2011, relating to ATRT recommendations #15, 16, 17 and 21. In that first phase, staff completely redesigned web pages, added new navigation menus, streamlined Announcement and Public Comment Box formats, and introduced an "Upcoming Topics" feature. New standardized data fields were added across all solicitations (e.g., Originating Organization, Purpose, Current Status, Next Steps) and opening and closing dates and times were clarified. To support these improvements staff also created internal document templates to facilitate publication and ensure presentation consistency in these pages.
After the launch of the redesigned Public Comment web pages, the staff worked with a focus group of ICANN community volunteers appointed by ICANN community leaders, to gather initial feedback on further improvements.
These further improvements are now available for wider community review and feedback though a public comment period extending through the rest of this month. The public comment opportunity features a staff report where focus group feedback is referenced and linked for each relevant topic. The overall effort supports the implementation of the Accountability and Transparency Review Team Recommendations relating to how community members provide input on ICANN matters.
More Information
Public Comment Period Announcement
Staff Contact
Filiz Yilmaz, Senior Director, Participation and Engagement
2. Issues Currently Open for Public Comment
Numerous public comment periods are open on issues of interest to the ICANN community. Act now to share your views on such topics as:
- Phase II of Public Comment Process Enhancements. Provide feedback on how ICANN publishes and manages Public Comments, including the addition of a Reply Period to allow the community to respond to previous comments. Comment by 30 September 2011; Reply to Comments by 15 October 2011.
- Revisions to Conflicts of Interest Policy and Bylaws to Allow Board to Consider Compensation for Director Services. In order to address Recommendation #5 of the Accountability and Transparency Review Team to compensate Directors, the Conflicts of Interest Policy needs to be revised to allow a Board vote on a matter of material financial interest. Comment by 3 October 2011.
For the full list of issues open for public comment, plus recently closed and archived public comment forums, visit the Public Comment web page.
ccNSO
3. Oman and Philippines Join ccNSO
At a Glance
Country code operators from the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions were approved as new ccNSO members in August 2011.
Recent Developments
The ccNSO Council approved the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), the ccTLD operator of.om (Oman) and PH Domain Foundation, the ccTLD operator of .ph (Philippines), as new ccNSO members. The Sultanate of Oman is in the Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The Republic of the Philippines is a group of islands located in Southeastern Asia between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.
There are now a total of 119 ccNSO members.
More Information
- Announcement [PDF, 36 KB]
- Overview of ccNSO members
Staff contact
Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat
4. Election for ccNSO Seat on ICANN Board
At a Glance
ccNSO kicks off process to fill seat number 12 on the ICANN Board of Directors.
Recent Developments
On 15 September, the ccNSO started the process of filling one of the two ccNSO selected ICANN Board seats.
Next Steps
The nomination period ends on 6 October. The candidate(s) will then have a Q&A session at the Dakar meeting. If there is more than one candidate, elections will be initiated on 10 November.
Background
Mike Silber's term as ccNSO ICANN Board delegate ends in June 2012. The South African attorney was selected in 2009 as one of two ccNSO representatives on the ICANN Board, and he is eligible for re-election.
More Information
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat
5. Dr. Hong Xue Appointed ccNSO Councilor
At a Glance
ccNSO Council welcomes Dr. Hong Xue as newly-appointed ccNSO Councilor.
Recent Developments
ICANN's Nominating Committee appointed Dr. Xue, director of the Asia Pacific Internet Leadership Project, to the ccNSO Council. She will replace Ms. Jian Zhang of the Asia Pacific Top-Level Domain Association.
Next Steps
Dr. Xue will be seated on the ccNSO Council after the ICANN Public Meeting in Dakar in October 2011.
Background
Three of the ccNSO Council's 18 seats are filled by the NomCom.
More Information
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat
6. Draft ccNSO Agenda Posted for Dakar Meeting
At a Glance
The ccNSO Council draft meeting agenda for the ICANN 42 Dakar Public Meeting covers three days of sessions and other activities.
Recent Developments
The ccNSO Program Working Group has published a first draft agenda for the Dakar meeting. The Dakar sessions will take place 21—23 October 2011.
Background
The agenda was developed by the ccNSO Program Working Group, based on community input provided in past meeting surveys.
Next Steps
The agenda will be updated as appropriate as the Dakar meeting nears.
More Information
Staff Contact
Gabriella Schittek, ccNSO Secretariat
GNSO
7. Community Provides Input on Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Final Report, Recommendations
At a Glance
The ICANN community provided comments on a report and recommendations related to what happens after domain names expire. The GNSO Council adopted the report in July, concluding a two-year process that examined current registrar policies regarding the renewal, transfer and deletion of expired domain names.
Recent Developments
The ICANN Board is next in line to consider the Final Report and Recommendations made by the Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group after the GNSO Council reviewed, discussed and approved the document in July. To this end, a public comment period was open from 15 August to 15 September 2011 to request community input on the recommendations. Among the recommendations that will now be considered by the Board are:
- Providing a minimum of eight days after expiration for renewal by a registrant;
- Having unsponsored gTLDs and registrars offer Redemption Grace Periods;
- Requiring posting of fees charged for renewal; requiring that at least two notices prior to expiration are sent at set times, one after expiration; that an expired web site must explicitly say that registration has expired, and offer instructions on how to redeem the domain; and
- Development of educational materials about how to prevent unintentional loss.
Next Steps
If the ICANN Board adopts the recommendations, the GNSO Council will convene an Implementation Review Team to work with staff on implementation.
Background
For a history of the ICANN community's policy development activities on this topic, please refer to the PEDNR background page.
More Information
- PEDNR Proposed Final Report [PDF, 971 KB]
- Details on PEDNR Public Consultation Session in Brussels
- GNSO Issues Report on Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery [PDF, 416 KB]
- Translations of the GNSO Issues Report on Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery
Staff Contact
Marika Konings, Senior Policy Director
8. ICANN Board Adopts IRTP Part B Recommendations
At a Glance
The aim of the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) is to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another. The GNSO Council is reviewing and considering revisions to this policy and has established a series of Working Groups to conduct these efforts. The IRTP Part B PDP Recommendations have now been adopted by the GNSO Council and by the ICANN Board and will move forward to implementation.
Recent Developments and Next Steps
Following adoption of the IRTP Part B PDP Recommendations by the GNSO Council and a public comment period, the ICANN Board has now adopted these recommendations:
- Registrars are required to provide a Transfer Emergency Action Contact. Language to modify section four (Registrar Coordination) and section six (Registry Requirements) of the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy has been provided (see GNSO resolution for further details).
- Section three of the IRTP is to be modified to require that the Registrar of Record/Losing Registrar to notify the Registered Name Holder/Registrant of the transfer out. The Registrar of Record has access to the contact information for the Registrant and will modify their systems to automatically send out the Standardized Form for Losing Registrars to the Registrant.
- Modifying Reason for Denial #6 as follows: Express objection to the transfer by the authorized Transfer Contact. Objection could take the form of specific request (either by paper or electronic means) by the authorized Transfer Contact to deny a particular transfer request, or a general objection to all transfer requests received by the Registrar, either temporarily or indefinitely. In all cases, the objection must be provided with the express and informed consent of the authorized Transfer Contact on an opt-in basis and upon request by the authorized Transfer Contact, the Registrar must remove the lock or provide a reasonably accessible method for the authorized Transfer Contact to remove the lock within five calendar days.
- Denial reason #7 is to be deleted as a valid reason for denial under section three of the IRTP as it is technically not possible to initiate a transfer for a domain name that is locked, and hence cannot be denied, making this denial reason obsolete.
In addition, the Board encourages the GNSO, the ALAC and all other parts of the ICANN community to work together to promote the measures outlined in the SSAC's report – "A Registrant's Guide to Protecting Domain Name Registration Accounts" (SAC 044).
ICANN staff will now start working on an implementation plan for the adopted recommendations.
Background
The GNSO Council established a series of five Working Groups (Parts A through E) to review and consider various revisions to IRTP policy.
The IRTP Part B PDP is the second in a series of five scheduled PDPs addressing areas for improvements in the existing policy. The Part B Working Group has addressed five issues focusing on domain hijacking, the urgent return of an inappropriately transferred name, and lock status. For further details, refer to the group's Charter.
More Information
- IRTP Part B Final Report [PDF, 972 KB]
- IRTP Part B Proposed Final Report [PDF, 733 KB]
- Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy web page
- IRTP Part B Status Report of Ongoing Progress page
- IRTP Part B Issues Report [PDF, 256 KB]
- PDP Recommendations [PDF, 124 KB]
- ICANN Start podcast: audio explanation of IRTP Part B [MP3, 18 MB]
Staff Contact
Marika Konings, Senior Policy Director
9. Final Issue Report on Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Part C Submitted to GNSO Council
At a Glance
The aim of the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) is to provide a straightforward procedure for domain name holders to transfer their names from one ICANN-accredited registrar to another. The GNSO Council is reviewing and considering revisions to this policy and has established a series of Working Groups to conduct these efforts. ICANN staff has now submitted the Final Issue Report on IRTP Part C to the GNSO Council for its consideration.
Recent Developments and Next Steps
At its meeting on 22 June 2011, the GNSO Council requested an Issue Report on IRTP Part C which was to cover the following issues:
- "Change of Control" function, including an investigation of how this function is currently achieved, if there are any applicable models in the country-code name space that can be used as a best practice for the gTLD space, and any associated security concerns. It should also include a review of locking procedures, as described in Reasons for Denial #8 and #9, with an aim to balance legitimate transfer activity and security.
- Whether provisions on time-limiting Forms Of Authorization (FOAs) should be implemented to avoid fraudulent transfers out. For example, if a Gaining Registrar sends and receives an FOA back from a transfer contact, but the name is locked, the registrar may hold the FOA pending adjustment to the domain name status, during which time the registrant or other registration information may have changed.
- Whether the process can be streamlined by a requirement that registries use IANA IDs for registrars rather than proprietary IDs.
ICANN staff published a Preliminary Issue Report for public input on 25 July 2011. Following review of the public comments received, ICANN staff has now prepared a Final Issue Report and submitted this to the GNSO Council for its consideration. In the Issue Report, ICANN staff recommends the initiation of a Policy Development Process (PDP) on the issues outlined above. The GNSO Council is expected to consider at its next meeting whether or not to initiate a PDP on IRTP Part C.
More Information
Final Issue Report IRTP Part C [PDF, 625 KB]
Staff Contact
Marika Konings, Senior Policy Director
10. Other Issues Active in the GNSO
- GNSO Improvements: PDP Final Report Getting Final Review
- Whois Studies Moving Forward
- Staff is incorporating community input into the discussion paper on the creation of non-binding best practices to help registrars and registries address the abusive registration of domain names. The input was received during a workshop on Registration Anti-Abuse Best Practices in Singapore.
ASO
11. Policy Proposal for Recovered IPv4 Address Blocks Adopted by LACNIC
At a Glance
Now that IANA has allocated all the addresses in IPv4, Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) have discussed a number of proposed global policies for handling IPv4 address space returned from the RIRs to IANA. The RIRs have yet to agree on a new policy.
Recent Developments
After failing to reach consensus on two preceding proposals, a third proposal on allocation of recovered IPv4 address space has been launched and introduced in the five RIRs. APNIC, the registry that originated the proposal, has adopted it, and so has LACNINC. The proposal has passed the final call stage in AfriNIC has entered the final call stage in RIPE, while still in the discussion stage in ARIN.
In this proposal, IANA would establish and administer a pool of returned address space to be allocated to all RIRs simultaneously in equal blocks of smaller size than the traditional /8. Pool size permitting, allocations would occur every six months.
Next Steps
If and when this policy proposal is adopted by all five RIRs, the Number Resource Organization Executive Committee and the Address Supporting Organization Address Council will review the proposal and forward the policy 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 unique numbers (approximately 4.3 billion) has been depleted and a 128-bit numbering system (IPv6) is taking its place.
More Information
- A Background Report for the third proposal is posted on the ICANN web site and includes a comparison between the proposals so far on this theme.
- Background Report for the second proposal.
Staff Contact
Olof Nordling, Director, Service Relations
Joint Efforts
12. Joint Applicant Support WG Submits Final Report
At a Glance
The Joint SO/AC New gTLD Applicant Support Working Group (JAS WG) submitted its Final Report addressing how ICANN should provide financial and non-financial support to applicants from developing economies in their application for and operation of new gTLDs.
Recent Developments
The JAS WG submitted its Final Report on 14 September to the GNSO and ALAC, its chartering organizations. The recommendations presented in the report comprise a comprehensive blueprint of how financial and non-financial support could be provided as part of ICANN's New Generic Top-Level Domain Program, to be launched in January 2012.
Among the topics explained in the report are:
- What types of support should be offered;
- Who should be approved to receive support; and
- How candidates for support should be evaluated.
The purpose of the JAS WG has been to develop a sustainable means of providing support to applicants needing assistance in applying for and operating new gTLDs. The result is the WG's proposed Developing Economies Support Program.
Next Steps
The Final Report will be considered by the GNSO on 22 September; and by ALAC on 27 September.
Background
The WG was jointly created by the GNSO and ALAC in April 2010, in response to a Board resolution requesting such a program, which passed in Nairobi the month before. The WG consists of members from the GNSO and At-Large, along with unaffiliated members.
More Information
Staff Contact
Seth Greene, Consultant for At-Large
13. Other Issues Active as Joint Efforts
- Review of ICANN Geographic Regions: Draft Final Report Nears Publication
- Internationalized Registration Data November 2010 Interim Report
At-Large
14. At-Large Welcomes New ALAC Members, Regional Officers and Delegates to the NomCom
At a Glance
The At-Large community welcomes the newly elected or selected representatives to the At-Large Advisory Committee, At-Large delegates to the Nominating Committee, and various Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs). They will meet the current At-Large representatives face-to-face during ICANN's Public Meeting in Dakar.
Recent Developments
NomCom Selectees to the ALAC
- Africa –Mrs. Titi Akinsanmi was selected by the NomCom to serve as the ALAC representative from the African region.
- Asia/Australia/Pacific –Ms. Rinalia Abdul Rahim was selected by the NomCom to serve as the ALAC representative from the Asia/Australia/Pacific region.
- Latin America and Caribbean Islands –Mr. Carlton Samuels was selected to serve a second term as the NomCom representative from the Latin American and Caribbean Islands region.
- North America – Dr. Ganesh Kumar was selected as an interim ALAC selectee to fill a vacant seat following the resignation of the ALAC member from the North American region selected by the 2010 NomCom.
Mrs. Akinsanmi, Ms. Rahim and Mr. Samuels will serve two-year terms beginning at the ICANN Public Meeting in Dakar. Dr. Kumar's term started on 6 September 2011 and will run through the 2012 ICANN Annual General Meeting.
Elected At-Large representatives to the ALAC:
- AFRALO – Mr. Yaovi Atohoun will serve as the RALO Representative to the ALAC for 2011 to 2013 from the AFRALO Region.
- APRALO – Ms. Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro will serve as the RALO Representative to the ALAC for 2011 to 2013 from the APRALO region.
- EURALO – Dr. Olivier Crépin-Leblond will serve as the RALO Representative to the ALAC for 2011-2013 from the EURALO Region.
- LACRALO – Elections are currently ongoing and scheduled to be completed 22 September.
- NARALO – Mr. Eduardo Diaz will serve as the RALO Representative to the ALAC for 2011 to 2013 from the NARALO Region.
At-Large Delegates to the NomCom, serving one-year terms:
- AFRALO – Mr. Mohamed El Bashir
- APRALO – Ms. Siranush Vardanyan
- EURALO – Mr. Yjrö Länsipuro
- LACRALO – Ms. Jacqueline Morris
- NARALO – Mr. Glenn McKnight
Recently Elected At-Large Regional Officers:
- AFRALO – Chair: Mrs. Fatimata Seye Sylla; Vice-Chair: Mr. Tijani Ben Jemaa. As stated in the AFRALO Operating Principles, they will serve two-year terms.
- NARALO – Chair: Mr. Beau Brendler; Secretary: Ms. Darlene Thompson. They will serve one-year terms.
At-Large Regional Officers from other regions were elected earlier in 2011. The current Regional Officers in these regions may be viewed at:
More Information
For more information on the 2011 At-Large elections, see the 2011 At-Large ALAC and RALO Elections, Selections and Appointments 2011 wiki page.
Staff Contact
Heidi Ullrich, Director for At-Large15. The At-Large Community Expands to 136 At-Large Structures
At a Glance
The ALAC recently certified two organizations as At-Large Structures (ALSes): Association for Linux and Free Software and Ageia Densi Colombia. These two new ALSes expand the regional diversity of the At-Large community, which represents thousands of individual Internet users. With the addition of these two new organizations, the number of accredited ALSes now totals 136.
Recent Developments
The ALAC has certified the Association for Linux and Free Software, located in Burkina Faso, and Ageia Densi Colombia, as ALSes. The certification process included due diligence carried out by ICANN staff and regional advice provided by the African Regional At-Large Organization (AFRALO) and the Latin American and Caribbean Islands Regional At-Large Organization (LACRALO).
Additional information on the new At-Large Structures:
Ageia Densi Colombia (Asociación Grupo de Estudio e Investigación Académica en Derecho, Economía y Negocios en la Sociedad de la Información) consists of individual members working to promote the study, research and dissemination of legal, economic and social problems pertaining to the Information Society, in a multidisciplinary fashion. This organization will be an ALS within LACRALO.
Association for Linux and Free Software (Association pour Linux et les logiciels libres au Burkina Faso - A3LBF) is located in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It has approximately 150 members consisting of computer scientists and journalists. Their areas of focus include free software, training activities, security issues and Internet governance. This organization will be an ALS within AFRALO.
Background
One of the strengths of the At-Large community is that it incorporates the views of a set of globally diverse, Internet user organizations, or ALSes, organized within five RALO. The views of these grassroots organizations are collected through an internal, bottom-up, consensus-driven policy development process and find representation in the official documents of the ALAC.
More Information
- A complete list of certified and pending ALSes
- Statistical information on global ALS representation
- Global map of certified ALSes
- Information on how to join At-Large
- ICANN At-Large web site
Staff Contact
Matt Ashtiani, At-Large Coordination Officer
SSAC
16. Issues Active in the SSAC
update-sep11-en.pdf [790 KB]